AI is in its pre-Tycho stage, needing a vocabulary for learning mechanics

ZimingLiu11 · x · 2026-08-12

Drawing an analogy to the evolution of astronomy (Tycho → Kepler → Newton), the author argues that AI is currently in its "pre-Tycho" stage. Many critical phenomena remain hidden in logs or are entirely unmeasured.

Known deep learning puzzles are still very limited, such as grokking, scaling laws, and double descent. The first step toward a true "Science of AI" should be discovering more phenomena—essentially creating a vocabulary for "learning mechanics." The author notes that using the ComfyResearch platform, they have conveniently discovered new phenomena, including a "McDonald's curve" in a world model.

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