bro forma

bro-for-ma

: a perfunctory financial statement that is tailored to appeal to finance/tech bros.

"Hey Chad, the VCs are still non-committal;

it's time to hit em with the bro forma."

by Boer Stearns August 5, 2025

Hard Problem of Formal Sciences

The paradox that formal systems like mathematics and logic, which are human creations of pure thought and symbol manipulation, describe and predict the physical universe with uncanny, often inexplicable accuracy. These sciences deal with abstract, necessary truths (2+2=4 is true in any possible universe). The hard problem is why these mind-born rule-sets, which require no empirical input, are so deeply "baked into" the fabric of our contingent, empirical reality. It's the question of whether we invent mathematics or discover it, and if we discover it, why is the universe inherently mathematical? The success of the formal sciences suggests a pre-established harmony between human reason and cosmic structure that borders on the mystical.

Example: A mathematician, working purely from axioms and logic, derives a strange, non-intuitive structure called a "Lie group." Decades later, a physicist finds that this exact mathematical structure perfectly describes the behavior of fundamental particles and forces in the Standard Model. The hard problem: How did a game of intellectual symbols, played out on notebooks, anticipate the operational code of the cosmos? It's as if the universe runs on software written in a programming language that the human brain, by sheer coincidence, independently invented for fun. This "unreasonable effectiveness" is the foundational shock of the formal sciences. Hard Problem of Formal Sciences.

by Enkigal January 24, 2026

Theory of Formal Social Control

The analysis of the organized, codified, and institutionalized systems that a society uses to enforce conformity and punish deviance. This includes laws, police, courts, prisons, military, regulatory agencies, and official sanctions. It is the visible, "hard" architecture of control, backed by the state's monopoly on legitimate violence.

Theory of Formal Social Control Example: A speed limit sign, a traffic camera, a ticket, a court date, and a fine are all components of Formal Social Control. They are explicit, written rules with defined penalties, administered by authorized agents of the state to control behavior (driving speed) for public order.

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 4, 2026

Critical Theory of Formal Sciences

The application of Critical Theory to the formal sciences—mathematics, logic, computer science, and related fields—examining how even these seemingly pure disciplines are shaped by social contexts and power relations. Critical Theory of Formal Sciences asks: How do mathematical concepts reflect cultural values? How has logic been used to exclude? Whose interests are served by treating formal sciences as neutral? Drawing on critical mathematics education, feminist critiques of logic, and philosophy of computer science, it insists that no knowledge is value-free—not even 2+2. Understanding formal sciences requires understanding the society that produces them.

"Math is universal, they say. Critical Theory of Formal Sciences asks: universal for whom? Developed where? Mathematics has history, culture, politics. It's been used to justify racism (intelligence testing), to enable surveillance (algorithms), to concentrate power. Formal sciences aren't neutral; they're human products. Critical theory insists on asking: what values are built into the equations?"

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026

Zoom Call Formal

Zoom Call Formal is a term used to describe an individual who is wearing formal attire from the waist up, however is naked below said point. i.e a collared shirt, suit, and tie, however no underwear or pants. It can also be used to describe someone wearing a top but no pants on a discord call.

I can't believe John was in Zoom Call Formal. I would have never guessed if he never stood up.

by Starry Skyla December 29, 2025