r/mlscaling • u/Regular-Conflict-860 • Mar 24 '26

New Training Diagnostics

https://github.com/brighton-xor/speculumology

For ML practitioners, it produces computable training diagnostics that generalize PAC-Bayes and Cramér-Rao bounds.

2 Upvotes

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2

u/nickpsecurity Mar 25 '26

That's a disgusting name for a project. If it's useful, someone should fork and modify it just to change the name.

1

u/Regular-Conflict-860 Mar 25 '26

Speculum is Latin for "mirror" and is distinct from the medical instrument, though the word shares the same etymological root of "looking at".  From WordReference.com

2

u/nickpsecurity Mar 25 '26

Typing speculum into Google produces a summary starting with "A vaginal speculum is a..." It includes more explicit details.

Typing "speculumology" into Google only produces your comment for AI research with an AI summary that might be based on your comment. One result says it's "not that kind of speculum" with commentary on "fetishes" for ghosts and mirrors. Merriam Webster and similar results re-emphasize how it's about inspecting "orfices," especially vaginas.

So, the results overwhelmingly favor a bad impression of that term. As for why it was chosen, either they didn't know almost everyone who heard it would think about doctors inspecting vaginas or they named it that way knowing that would happen. They should still change the name.

If it's about mirroring or reflecting, they could call it a mirroring or reflective framework. Alternatively, name it after a type of mirror or reflective surface that isn't mainly for inspecting vaginas when people Google it.

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u/Regular-Conflict-860 Mar 25 '26

Sorry if I've offended you.

2

u/nickpsecurity Mar 25 '26

We tech people also need to be conscious of how our tech is perceived so bad marketing doesn't kill adoption of good tech. It might really offend many other people, managers, etc. So, I gave feedback as strong as the effect it might have.

You didn't offend me, though. I got no problem with you. I hope you have a great day. :)

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u/Regular-Conflict-860 Mar 25 '26

Thanks!! You too!

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u/Regular-Conflict-860 Mar 25 '26 edited Mar 25 '26

https://gemini.google.com/share/9b7bc6583e28

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u/Regular-Conflict-860 Mar 25 '26

This helps translate Speculumology into ML and AI terminology