@ezrabutler http://museum.ezrabutler.com/ collection of musings Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:09:09 +0200 Trying to calculate the probability of having a meet-cute in the gluten-free... http://museum.ezrabutler.com/trying-to-calculate-the-probability-of-having-a-meet-cute-in-the-gluten-free <![CDATA[Trying to calculate the probability of having a meet-cute in the gluten-free aisle of Tesco. Tesco, on average, has a wider variety gluten-free products in a single aisle than most other stores. Which means people are more likely to spend time in that aisle deciding on what to purchase. There is a theoretical possibility of a meet-cute anywhere, but I would suggest that common interests (like the mystery shelf at a bookshop or the gluten-free aisle in a Tesco) have a higher probability. Frequency definitely matters, but is every trip equal? In a bookstore, you are usually looking for something new, but in a supermarket, you may simply be purchasing the same products. Is a better question to create a matrix of the places with the highest theoretical probabilities for meet-cutes?]]> Trying to calculate the probability of having a meet-cute in the gluten-free aisle of Tesco.

Tesco, on average, has a wider variety gluten-free products in a single aisle than most other stores.

Which means people are more likely to spend time in that aisle deciding on what to purchase.

There is a theoretical possibility of a meet-cute anywhere, but I would suggest that common interests (like the mystery shelf at a bookshop or the gluten-free aisle in a Tesco) have a higher probability.

Frequency definitely matters, but is every trip equal? In a bookstore, you are usually looking for something new, but in a supermarket, you may simply be purchasing the same products.

Is a better question to create a matrix of the places with the highest theoretical probabilities for meet-cutes?

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/trying-to-calculate-the-probability-of-having-a-meet-cute-in-the-gluten-free Mon, 11 May 2026 23:27:52 +0200 Art history is history. http://museum.ezrabutler.com/art-history-is-history <![CDATA[Art history is history. ]]> Art history is history.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/art-history-is-history Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:56:38 +0100 Why does Threads shadow-ban any post mentioning the extinction of dragons? http://museum.ezrabutler.com/why-does-threads-shadow-ban-any-post-mentioning-the-extinction-of-dragons <![CDATA[Why does Threads shadow-ban any post mentioning the extinction of dragons?]]> Why does Threads shadow-ban any post mentioning the extinction of dragons?

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/why-does-threads-shadow-ban-any-post-mentioning-the-extinction-of-dragons Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:18:00 +0100 I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to defend ellipses today. http://museum.ezrabutler.com/i-dont-have-the-emotional-bandwidth-to-defend-ellipses-today <![CDATA[I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to defend ellipses today.]]> I don’t have the emotional bandwidth to defend ellipses today.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/i-dont-have-the-emotional-bandwidth-to-defend-ellipses-today Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:47:29 +0100 In a world filled with Puritans, be a Spinoza. Or at the very least, an Orwell. http://museum.ezrabutler.com/in-a-world-filled-with-puritans-be-an-orwell <![CDATA[In a world filled with Puritans, be a Spinoza. Or at the very least, an Orwell. ]]> In a world filled with Puritans, be a Spinoza. Or at the very least, an Orwell.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/in-a-world-filled-with-puritans-be-an-orwell Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:11:56 +0100 In a world filled with Crusaders, be a Copernicus. http://museum.ezrabutler.com/in-a-world-filled-with-crusaders-be-a-copernicus <![CDATA[In a world filled with Crusaders, be a Copernicus. Or at the very least, a Galileo.]]> In a world filled with Crusaders, be a Copernicus. Or at the very least, a Galileo.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/in-a-world-filled-with-crusaders-be-a-copernicus Mon, 09 Mar 2026 09:04:02 +0100 Are nostalgia studies designed by anyone under the age of 45 inherently flawed? http://museum.ezrabutler.com/are-nostalgia-studies-designed-by-anyone-under-40-inherently-flawed <![CDATA[Are nostalgia studies designed by anyone under the age of 45 inherently flawed?]]> Are nostalgia studies designed by anyone under the age of 45 inherently flawed?

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/are-nostalgia-studies-designed-by-anyone-under-40-inherently-flawed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 10:02:44 +0100 The best way to get me to research something myself is to tell me that the... http://museum.ezrabutler.com/the-best-way-to-get-me-to-research-something-myself-is-to-tell-me-that-the <![CDATA[The best way to get me to research something myself is to tell me that the “general consensus among scholars” is something which is wholly counterintuitive.]]> The best way to get me to research something myself is to tell me that the “general consensus among scholars” is something which is wholly counterintuitive.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/the-best-way-to-get-me-to-research-something-myself-is-to-tell-me-that-the Sat, 07 Mar 2026 18:10:42 +0100 By how they use things, it seems like people really want a mashup between... http://museum.ezrabutler.com/by-how-they-use-things-it-seems-like-people-really-want-a-mashup-between <![CDATA[By how they use things, it seems like people really want a mashup between microblogging (Twitter) and bulletin boards (Reddit). Maybe with photo sharing (Instagram) sprinkled in.]]> By how they use things, it seems like people really want a mashup between microblogging (Twitter) and bulletin boards (Reddit). Maybe with photo sharing (Instagram) sprinkled in.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/by-how-they-use-things-it-seems-like-people-really-want-a-mashup-between Sat, 07 Mar 2026 11:19:09 +0100 I’ve forgotten everything I wanted to write about. http://museum.ezrabutler.com/ive-forgotten-everything-i-wanted-to-write-about <![CDATA[I’ve forgotten everything I wanted to write about. ]]> I’ve forgotten everything I wanted to write about.

]]> http://museum.ezrabutler.com/ive-forgotten-everything-i-wanted-to-write-about Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:57:12 +0100