July 22, 2026

Wednesday

Winnie Mae at Programmable Speed

It feels a bit strange when mild weather is the news, but that’s exactly what we’ve got this morning, and likely for the next several days, too. Perrysburg should be relatively cool (70s and 80s) and smoke-free for the rest of the week. Nice!

post published in /2026/07/22 at 8:58 AM

This almost feels like a The Graduate “Plastics” moment, but with three words: photonic integrated circuits.

If the technology is commercialized, a single programmable optical chip could perform several tasks, including controlling signal speed and switching between different functions.

In that sense, the chip could operate in a way similar to a software-defined system, with its behavior adjusted according to changing needs.

This flexibility could help data centers and AI servers process information more efficiently while reducing energy consumption.

I think there’s a great future in photonic integrated circuits. Think about it. Will you think about it?

link published in /2026/07/22 at 9:15 AM

When those backup tariffs expire this week, the administration will step in again with new tariffs, ones the courts have consistently said that presidents have the authority to impose. Those could generate nearly $ 1 trillion over the next 10 years.

Over that period, our increasingly untenable national debt is likely to put even more fiscal pressure on future presidents. Regardless of who wins in 2028, the desire to avoid the wrath of the bond market may be at a high.

Mr. Trump’s successor will have options. The next president could keep some tariffs while rebalancing where the revenue comes from – and they should.

Trump monetized the American consumer and the revenue stream is currently being hardened. I’d probably be fine with that if I had confidence that the money would be used for things like paying down the national debt, avoiding the Social Security insolvency currently predicted for 2032, and investing in science, research, and development.

Pardon my skepticism, but, for various reasons, I have doubts.

link published in /2026/07/22 at 12:02 PM

Some Was True is my corner of the web for publishing observations and commentary on various topics I find interesting. I use the process of creating and publishing content to learn about everything from history and tech to sports and culture. The About page has more information about the background of the site and details on how content is organized.

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