01 · Written
My books
Energy, society and family history. Books about systems, their connections and the people within them.
Explore my books ↗Books. Knowledge. Family history.
Curiosity
becomes a tool.
I’m Erik Schmidt. I write books, collect knowledge and follow clues through family histories, technical systems and my own software projects.
Systems, Stories, and Strategy.This workshop brings together the things that occupy me: reading and writing, researching and experimenting.
What keeps me curious.
Four ways into the workshop.
02 · Collected
My library
Browse my book collection: from the study to cookbooks and comics, Reclam editions and Suske en Wiske.
Browse the library ↗03 · Researched
Genealogy
The de Smidt, Schmidt and Hilbig families. Historical sources, family trees and connections between generations.
Explore family history ↗04 · Explained
The glossary
Terms from the energy industry and energy transition. Look things up, follow an idea and understand the connections.
Explore the glossary ↗Written by me
Ideas, in book form.
Energy
Strom als System
The transformation of the energy system as a structural task: why electrification, grids, markets and storage can only be understood together, and why the energy transition is above all a question of structures, time horizons and priorities.
Deutsch
Explore the book 
Artificial intelligence
Das überforderte System
Why people accept AI output unchecked and hand responsibility to technical systems. Fourteen cases from offices, administrations, associations and family research, and practical ways to keep judgement in human hands.
Deutsch
Explore the book 
Genealogy
Clavis Genetica
A DNA test yields lists, numbers and files, but no ancestors. A step-by-step guide from match list to proven kinship: segments, clusters, triangulation, chromosome mapping, Y-DNA and mtDNA, with real data from the author's own family.
DeutschNederlands
Explore the book From the blog.
All articles ↗2026-05-26 · English
Fusion Forecast comparison page reworked
A useful solar forecast earns trust only when it is checked against real production day after day. By combining irradiance-based modelling with learned system behaviour, Fusion Forecast turns prediction into an auditable process rather than a polished curve.
Read more2026-01-27 · English
The uniform was the point
Gregory Bovino’s militarized persona and enforcement spectacles were deliberate political theater designed to project dominance rather than enforce immigration law. His quiet removal and reassignment are presented as a familiar form of bureaucratic "accountability" that avoids real consequences.
Read more2026-01-26 · English
When Power Forgets Its Limits
The Obamas’ statement on the killing of Alex Pretti rejects both performative sympathy and partisan escalation in favor of clear demands for lawful, accountable federal enforcement. It emphasizes that coercive state power is legitimate only when bounded by process, identification, oversight, and cooperation with local authorities.
Read moreExperimenting and building.
All projects ↗Chess · Engine & Mac app
Zugwunder
My own chess engine, with tactics training, chess problems and a game you can play in your browser.
Explore Zugwunder ↗
AI · Historical sources
ScriptAIX
Transcribe old handwriting, search sources and uncover connections. Developed through my own family research.
Explore ScriptAIX ↗Historical handwritingTranscription & reviewSearchable source
Keep exploring
Personal stories, updates and experiments.
About me, updates, contact details, solar energy, weather and other tools have their own overview page.