Picnic - GoKawiil

Essay likens AI's impact on science to the 'Roadside Picnic' alien artifacts metaphor

A new essay draws on Arkady and Boris Strugatsky's novel 'Roadside Picnic,' in which humans scavenge incomprehensible alien technology left behind after an extraterrestrial visit, as a metaphor for how AI systems are reshaping scientific work. The author argues this framing is especially relevant to mathematics, where AI-generated outputs are increasingly used even when their underlying workings are not fully understood.

metedata.substack.com · 2026-10-10

Robotic pizza-making startups keep failing despite years of investment

A string of automated pizza companies—including Zume, Pazzi, Basil Street and Picnic—have shut down after struggling to reliably assemble food with machines. Analysts note that robots often fumble ingredient placement, while human workers remain faster and more efficient at the task. Despite these setbacks, restaurateur Kindell is building his own 3D-printer-inspired pizza robot, aiming for a working prototype by 2027.

bbc.co.uk · 2026-08-27