Two or three weeks of continuous reading, reading, reading in awe.
Martin
MartinB
Karma: 1,458
Just some examples. It might be that smoking is not as bad as its currently presented. Optimizing lifestyle for higher chances of survival seams reasonable to me, but might not be everyones choice. Want i do not find usefull in any instance are grumpy rationalists that scorn on the whole world. Do you agree with the importance of ‘knowledge about the real world’?
Regarding positive psychology. Look um Daniel Gilbert and Martin Seligman. Both gave nice talks on Ted.com and have something to say about happiness.
Considering the invention of the steam maschine and its improval the romans could have flown to the moon—if they had the right ideas regarding science and technology and how its usefull to improve on them. Likewise alot of early human inventions seem to be rather accidents than systematic work. So its easily imaginable that on other earth the way up to our current standard took way longer, or alot less long.
Now also one can imagine how Aristotle or Socrates could have dreamt up the scientific method and get it tought. Or that ppl. came to realize how killing and robbing each other is a net loss while cooperation helps alot. But we are right now in the possition we ended up in. And there is room for hope and room for being afraid.
5) Ornish-diet + dual n-back
Hi,
i am technically not lurking as i prepare my anti-akrasia article.
Martin
No i actually have it prepared already, but still collect data from my own experience and my beta tester. But i appreciate the irony, thats what we all here for after all :-)
Martin
And now i just figured out that i am a few karma points short. So i lurked too much after all :-)
a meta-anti-akrasia strategy that might just work
thanks, hope the article is worth it :)
That looks to me like applied rationality.
I guess I’ll have to correct my language checking workflow.
Fully agreed!
I still struggle with applying what I learn, or even having it available at the right time. But i make progress. How does the question prevent disputes about definitions? I fail to see that.
I used to think that too, but now disagree. (The timing rule does work fine over here.) Generalizing one solution doesn’t work all the time. For example there are people that really hate to get interrupted—which a n minute timer does. Or people with an aversion to being timed in any way. I would like to read some setups people use successfully at some point.
I started with having some I would eat only during work (salt sticks and peanuts), but later switched to take a treat only once after 30minutes. For that I went to my favorite chocolate—which I started to dislike after some time. For a while I actually just moved pieces around. Then i went for olives, and now i use some chocolate beans. The treat itself doesn’t seam to matter that much to me, but the ritual does. Ask me again in a year. The marshmallow experiment indicates that the kid that waits does better in life, so i wanna be that kid. But you have to figure out on your own, what works for you.
Good point.
I think its super important to install habits you like and want. And i think that can be done. Regarding dealing with familiarity i have little conscious experience so far. Scott Adams has trouble with drawing and has to trick his brain all the time http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/09/AR2005050901066.html It might turn out that permanent creativity, change and new projects are the way to go. Time shall tell.
It continues with ‘who do you serve and who do you trust’. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWKNGNh1I-4
Now B5 is an amazingly well done show, but its not particularly singularitarian. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathwalker)
http://lesswrong.com/lw/uw/entangled_truths_contagious_lies/
you cannot plug in such safeties without having the AI detect them. Humans were able to map out many of their own design flaws and but them into nice little books. (that then get used to kill rivals) An AI would be able to figure that out too.
I think you mix up goals of the AI (paperclipping for once), and the model of reality it develops. I assume that it serves any goal of an AI best to have a highly realistic model of the world, and that it would detect any kind of tampering with that. Now I have no idea what happens if you hardcode a part of its view on nature, but I can imagine it will not be pleasant. It crippling to limit thought in that way, and maybe you prevent it from discovering something important.
Putting together a rationalist toolset. Including all the methods one needs to know, but also, and very much so the real world knowledge that helps to get along or ahead in life. Doesnt have to be reinvented, but pointed out and evaluated.
In short: I expect members of the rationality movement to dress well when its needed. To be in reasonable shape. To /not/smoke. Know about positive psychology. Know about how to deal with people. And find ways to be a rational & happy person.