# watershed (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 6 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover watershed. Page: Feed: --- ## [A Crowded Frontier](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/a-crowded-frontier/) _2026-08-19 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ With every day that passes, another model joins the ranks at the frontier. Last week it was xAI's Grok 4.6. This week it's GLM 5.3 . A month ago it was Kimi K3. And it clearly won't be long until Qwen and MiniMax ## [52@70=BYOAI](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/52-70-byoai/) _2026-08-18 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Timing. Ever since the release of the new Qwen3.8-27B I'd been waiting on tenterhooks for its rating to come in. In artificial intelligence circles there are a lot of ways to evaluate how smart a model is. The standard people broadly agree on comes from the ## [Trans Texan Seeks Asylum in Spain](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/trans-texan-seeks-asylum-in-spain) _2026-08-18 · David Bohenick · The Watershed Observer_ A transgender Texan’s journey from fear and uncertainty to a new life in Spain—and an effort to help others follow. ## [Kate Isett Builds Lifelines for those Seeking Safety Abroad](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/kate-isett-builds-lifelines-for-those) _2026-08-18 · David Bohenick · The Watershed Observer_ From her own uncertain journey through Spain’s asylum system, Isett built a growing organization to help others find a way forward. ## [How Fast is 'Fast Enough'?](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/how-fast-is-fast-enough/) _2026-08-17 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ There’s one very significant catch: it feels slow—especially when it starts over-thinking, but even without that it’s not particularly sprightly. - Simon Willison on Qwen3.8-27B The weekend was spent running a series of tests on the new Qwen3.8-27B model. First ## [AI Comes Home](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/ai-comes-home/) _2026-08-16 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Two weeks. That's the entire gap between the arrival of the Business Watershed and the Home Watershed . On the very last day of July, DeepSeek released their latest flash model. It is, byte for byte, the most capable AI model we have ever seen. It's smaller ## [Workers, Auditors and Planners](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/workers-auditors-and-planners/) _2026-08-11 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ The business watershed needs more than one kind of intelligence. It needs three. It needs workers. It needs auditors. And it needs planners. The worker you need every day, nine to five. Fast, efficient, eager to get things done, and frankly a little credulous - it does what it's ## [Does the Home Watershed Arrive Tomorrow?](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/does-the-home-watershed-arrive-tomorrow/) _2026-08-10 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ This week will see the public release of Qwen3.8 Max, the new flagship model from Alibaba. It scores high on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index - within striking distance of both the latest Claude Opus and GPT. That's interesting, but the model is very big, and has to ## [And Then There Were Two](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/and-then-there-were-two/) _2026-08-09 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Google invented the Transformer in 2017. Everyone in the field knows this. Everyone in the field also knows that - beyond language translation, which suddenly got very, very good - Google did nothing with it. Not, apparently, for lack of trying. A few people understood. But not enough, and certainly not enough ## [Chimney Rock](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/chimney-rock) _2026-08-09 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ A New National Monument ## [Fast, secure international transfers (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/fRQHtzgJFNjo) _2026-08-09 · **Sponsored**_ Bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile wallet — low fees and real-time tracking ## [Apple's Difficult Calculus](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/apples-difficult-calculus/) _2026-08-06 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Apple could own SME agents outright. Not compete for the market. Own it, the way IBM owned business computing for a decade after 1981. The hardware exists. The silicon is already designed. The distribution is already built. Every accountant, every law firm, every architecture practice in the developed world already ## [Four Watersheds](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/four-watersheds/) _2026-08-05 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ The Watershed - the moment cognitive work collapsed to near-zero marginal cost - looked like a one-off event. In reality, it unfolds as a series; the Watershed isn't a singular event, it's the same event happening four times, at four different scales and price points. Each ## [Associação Pedagógica Terra EducaLos](https://planetdrum.org/associacao-pedagogica-terra-educalos/) _2026-08-05 · Planet Drum Staff · Planet Drum Foundation_ Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action including watershed protection and land stewardship. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. The post Associação Pedagógica Terra EducaLos appeared first on Planet Drum Foundation . ## [Limits and Methods](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/limits-and-methods/) _2026-08-04 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ We've all had the feeling: in conversation with a deep expert and suddenly you're so deep in the weeds of their expertise you really don't know what's being said or what it means basically you just nod along, buoyed by their enthusiasm, ## [Salisbury’s “Informal Policies” Raise Alarms About Democratic Subversion and Transparency, Experts Say](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/salisburys-informal-policies-raise) _2026-08-04 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Salisbury’s admission that it maintains “informal policies” has sparked concerns from experts that unseen rules could undermine the principles of transparent democratic governance. ## [Methods](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/methods/) _2026-08-03 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · August 2026 Abstract The methods section is the part of a scientific paper that lets a stranger attempt what its authors did: do this, and you should see what we saw. The newest results in mathematics have no methods section. A counterexample that ## [Limits of Truth: Verification in Relatively Superintelligent Systems](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/limits-of-truth-verification-in-relatively-superintelligent-systems/) _2026-08-03 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 Abstract Every human being has a discernment horizon: the line past which they can no longer judge whether an answer is right, because checking the work is itself beyond them. As machine intelligence rises, every output crosses more horizons, until outputs ## [Join us for River Fest – August 30th](https://mvca.on.ca/join-us-for-river-fest-august-30th/) _2026-07-31 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ As part of Maitland Conservation’s 75th anniversary we’re hosting River Fest on Sunday Aug. 30, 2026. The event runs from \[…\] ## [Republican Ross Evans Wants Government Without the Drama](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/republican-ross-evans-wants-government) _2026-07-28 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ The District 7 candidate argues that economic growth depends on long-term planning and cooperation, not performative conflict. ## [Chaco Culture National Historical Park](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/chaco-culture-national-historical) _2026-07-26 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ This is what we came to see ## [Dissecting Series A Rounds (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/p0ak7IM5XQgD) _2026-07-26 · **Sponsored**_ Two real Series A cases: timelines, investor sequencing, and common founder mistakes. ## [It’s Time to Talk About Bruno](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/its-time-to-talk-about-bruno) _2026-07-26 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Michigan Supreme Court declines landmark chimpanzee habeas corpus appeal as dissent asks whether the common law is ready to reconsider who may seek liberty / Analysis ## [Get It In Writing](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/get-it-in-writing/) _2026-07-22 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Consider a trip to the auditor. You’ve received a notice from the ATO. Now you have to present everything to justify the last seven years of your tax filings. In order to prepare for that audit, you will need to gather up all of your records. Hopefully you ## [Upper Newhalem Watershed Council](https://planetdrum.org/upper-newhalem-watershed-council/) _2026-07-22 · Planet Drum Staff · Planet Drum Foundation_ Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action including watershed protection and land stewardship. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. The post Upper Newhalem Watershed Council appeared first on Planet Drum Foundation . ## [4 Minutes: July 22nd, 2026](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/4-minutes-july-22nd-2026) _2026-07-22 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Old fashioned superstitions, we find too hard ## [Falls Reserve Gatehouse Hours](https://mvca.on.ca/falls-reserve-gatehouse-hours-extended/) _2026-07-17 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ The gatehouse at Falls Reserve Conservation Area is currently open: Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. to \[…\] ## [Coastal Resilience Drop-In Sessions on July 23 and July 25](https://mvca.on.ca/coastal-resilience-drop-in-sessions-july-23-and-july-25/) _2026-07-17 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ The Restoration Complex pilot project is part of Maitland Conservation’s Southern Lake Huron Coastal Adaptation Strategy initiative. The project site \[…\] ## [Verification Design](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/verification-design/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 AI can be incredibly powerful. But it's not particularly reliable. That's a problem when relying on factual and accurate answers, but it's fatal when trying to work with agents. Agents break big problems down into ## [The Verification Record](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/the-verification-record/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 This note accompanies four papers: Defending the Loop, The Check and the Firm, Delayed Neutrons, and The Principles of Loop Governance, together with the previously published Foundations of Post-Watershed Economics. The papers argue that work should travel with the record ## [The Principles of Loop Governance](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/the-principles-of-loop-governance/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 Abstract Four papers have described an economy rebuilt around loops: autonomous machine work checked against tests, compounding wherever the tests cannot be fooled. This paper gathers what they established into seven principles, stated in two registers and resting on a third: ## [Delayed Neutrons: Pan-Insurance and the Governance of Recursive Self-Improvement](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/delayed-neutrons-pan-insurance-and-the-governance-of-recursive-self-improvement/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 Abstract Artificial intelligence is now improving artificial intelligence: machines write proofs that train better machines, and the cycle compounds. This paper asks the two questions that follow. What kind of self-improvement is this, and what can govern something that improves ## [ThreatCrush on GitHub (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/ssRb2hI6Qs1Q) _2026-07-14 · **Sponsored**_ View the ThreatCrush listing on the GitHub Marketplace. ## [The Check and the Firm: Foundations of Post-Watershed Business Practice](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/the-check-and-the-firm-foundations-of-post-watershed-business-practice/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 Abstract The check replaces the transaction as the primitive unit of analysis. A post-Watershed business converts its workflow into checkable processes run by self-healing loops of generate, check, and repair, held honest by a constitution that governs who may ## [Defending the Loop: Verification and the Division of Labour in Autonomous Work](https://thewatershed.markpesce.com/defending-the-loop-verification-and-the-division-of-labour-in-autonomous-work/) _2026-07-14 · Mark Pesce · The Watershed_ Mark Pesce · University of Sydney · July 2026 Abstract Autonomous AI agents working in iterative loops can improve any artefact against any standard they can be scored on. The standard is the vulnerability: most measures can be gamed, and an optimising loop permitted to modify its own tests will ## [Aztec Ruins National Monument](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/aztec-ruins-national-monument) _2026-07-12 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ An Unexpected Discovery ## [Supergirl Doesn't Need Saving](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/supergirl-doesnt-need-saving) _2026-07-08 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Milly Alcock shines in a film that's been judged against the wrong expectations. ## [Life at Blood Run in 1776](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/life-at-blood-run-in-1776) _2026-07-04 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ The Land and the People Endure ## [Vegan Eatery Chakra's Café Launches Fundraiser](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/vegan-eatery-chakras-cafe-launches) _2026-06-28 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Owner Tierra Williams says a mobile food cart would help the business reach more customers and establish a more consistent presence across Delmarva. ## [Mesa Verde and the Big Sioux Watershed](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/mesa-verde-and-the-big-sioux-watershed) _2026-06-28 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ Similarities and Differences ## [When the Candidate is Lana Foley](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/when-the-candidate-is-lana-foley) _2026-06-28 · Will Fries · The Watershed Observer_ Why The Watershed Observer Will Not Be Covering the Wicomico County Sheriff's Race ## [ReHuman School](https://planetdrum.org/re-human-school/) _2026-06-23 · Planet Drum Staff · Planet Drum Foundation_ Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action including watershed protection and land stewardship. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. The post ReHuman School appeared first on Planet Drum Foundation . ## [Chesapeake Contenders: Dan Schwartz working to build “tent of support”](https://watershedobserver.substack.com/p/chesapeake-contenders-dan-schwartz-bbe) _2026-06-22 · David Bohenick · The Watershed Observer_ Schwartz campaign reports broad fundraising reach and outlines coalition strategy ahead of June 23 primary ## [Take the 75-Minute Hiking Challenge](https://mvca.on.ca/take-the-75-minute-hiking-challenge/) _2026-06-22 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ 75 Minutes to Celebrate 75 years! 2026 marks the 75th anniversary of Maitland Conservation. We’re hosting several events to celebrate \[…\] ## [Chaco Canyon and Beyond](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/chaco-canyon-and-beyond) _2026-06-14 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ Perspectives from the Southwest US ## [Python package for watershed delineation](https://mghydro.com/python-package-for-watershed-delineation/) _2026-06-09 · mheberger · Matthew Heberger_ The watershed delineation code delineator is now a Python package available on PyPI, the official Python package repository. The best part: it s totally free and open-source. This package is based on code that I wrote during my PhD and released Continue reading ## [Los Padres ForestWatch](https://planetdrum.org/los-padres-forestwatch/) _2026-05-26 · Planet Drum Staff · Planet Drum Foundation_ Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action including watershed protection and land stewardship. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. The post Los Padres ForestWatch appeared first on Planet Drum Foundation . ## [El Abrazo del Amate, \[The Embrace of the Amate\], A Manual for Producing a Bioregional Event](https://planetdrum.org/el-abrazo-del-amate-the-embrace-of-the-amate-a-manual-for-producing-a-bioregional-event/) _2026-05-26 · Chris Wells and Ibrahim Loeks · Planet Drum Foundation_ Spanish & English Manuals HELLO BIOREGIONEES, This is a manual for how to make a Bioregional Congress , Confluence, Gathering , whatever we call it. Three years ago a group of friends in Tepotzlan Mexico who embraced multi-movement unity and produced 30 years of Bioregional Vision Councils, caravans, books, concerts, etc. all over South America put \[…\] The post El Abrazo del Amate, \[The Embrace of… ## [Wingham Floodplain Mapping – Public Comments](https://mvca.on.ca/update-of-wingham-floodplain-mapping/) _2026-05-11 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA), in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Township of North Huron and \[…\] ## [Hillslope Springs](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/hillslope-springs) _2026-05-10 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ Stories Shared Between Good Earth and Blood Run ## [Maitland Conservation Raises Concerns Over Amalgamation of Conservation Authorities](https://mvca.on.ca/maitland-conservation-raises-concerns-over-amalgamation-of-conservation-authorities/) _2026-04-27 · jayne · Maitland Valley Conservation Authority_ The Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) is expressing significant concerns following the Province’s move to consolidate Ontario’s 36 conservation authorities \[…\] ## [American Purgatory](https://georgeshurr.substack.com/p/american-purgatory) _2026-04-26 · George Shurr · Rooted--Land at the Edge of the Sky_ Some Things Just Do Not Change ## [The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) Nursery](https://planetdrum.org/the-occidental-arts-ecology-center-oaec-nursery/) _2026-04-15 · Planet Drum Staff · Planet Drum Foundation_ Our roots go back to 1970 with a long history of environmental action including watershed protection and land stewardship. Today, Acterra focuses its efforts on the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. The post The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) Nursery appeared first on Planet Drum Foundation .