I’m Sam Michelson, founder of Five Blocks. This is where I share what I’m thinking about, what I’m making, and what happens along the way.
September 22, 2026
I spend my days helping companies and executives understand what Google and AI tools say about them. So every so often I do the obvious thing and ask about myself. This week…
Read the story ↗May 23, 2026
For the last several years, discussions around global currencies have often revolved around one big question: Is the dollar losing its grip? The headlines have been dramatic — de-dollarization, reserve currency challenges,…
Read the story ↗June 12, 2025
The BBC’s June 10th story on the decline of fertility rates seems worrying. Are all developed nations now at less than 2.1 which is the replacement rate? I used Claude to analyze…
Read the story ↗THINGS I’VE MADE
Useful things. Interesting things.
A few just-for-fun things.
A man and his dog on the train, turned into a song and a sketch-style video with a little help from AI.
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A just-for-fun site featuring kosher Israeli snacks that carry all three red health-warning stickers: sugar, sodium and saturated fat. Maybe the least healthy. Maybe the most delicious.
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My own iPhone app: an alarm clock built for Shabbat. Set it before Shabbat, and it rings and stops on its own. Free, no ads, in English and Hebrew.
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A Five Blocks study: we asked eight popular AI platforms a basic reputation question about each Fortune 100 company and compared the answers.
Explore the projectTHE PERSON BEHIND THE BLOCK
My work is about how people and businesses are understood online. My interests tend to wander further: technology, family, travel, and the unexpected lessons in everyday life.
This is a place to follow those threads—and occasionally make something out of them.
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