The red of Mars, AI variability and strong engineers

Some funky science may have worked out that we have been wrong on why/how Mars is red, the variability difference between AI generated code and programming language code, and identifying a “strong” engineer.

Have we been wrong about why Mars is red?

The redness of Mars has long been attributed to iron oxide (rust). Up until recently it was thought that this was hematite, formed in dry conditions. However recent experiments reproducing Mars dust based on satellite data seems to indicate that it is ferrihydrite which typically forms with cold water. This implies that there was water on Mars surface and Mars “rusted” earlier than previously thought.

Prompt Engineering: Challenges, Strengths, and Its Place in Software Development’s Future

A previous article argued that English could become the most popular “programming language”. Programming languages use formal syntax to demand precision and repeatability. The lack of precision with AI can lead to reduced reliability and ambiguity. AI leans on variability to generate code whereas the generation of code from a traditional language is predictable.

How I know I’m working with a strong engineer

A really good observation, that I hadn’t thought of, about how to identify a strong engineer by the number of times you end up using certain phrases. Thinking back over my career I can certainly see some alignment with this.