The Future’s Future
The future is easy to predict, but the future’s future is impossible.
A Better Term for Connected Minds
When we connect brains together, we get a smarter being. The most common term for this being is “hivemind”. I think it’s very off-putting. It implies that we are drones, unable to think for ourselves, just being subject to the whims of the hive. Rather, we should see a connected mind as something more empathic … [Read more…]
Offspring from Any Couple
Are you in favor of artificially combining the genes of LGBT couples so that they are capable of having kids (in the sense of creating an offspring that shares 50% of the genes of each parent)? Assume that the procedure is safe and effective. Why or why not?
Apple’s Fine Security Response
Is it just me, or is this a damn fine response? Apple Developer Website Update Last Thursday, an intruder attempted to secure personal information of our registered developers from our developer website. Sensitive personal information was encrypted and cannot be accessed, however, we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some developers’ … [Read more…]
Free Will as a Sensation of Choice
The sensation of choice can occur, yes. It can feel like we made a wrong choice. This is the whole conclusion of LessWrong-free-will. However, it turns out the actual phenomena of choosing laziness over studying cannot be made by one brain or even one galaxy.
Niches of Artificial Intelligences
Artificial intelligences will probably diversify and talk to each other, just like we do. So you could have communities of AIs, each with niches, all trying to propagate themselves into the future, just like we do.
Quick Quote on Godel’s Incompleteness Theorems
This is an amazingly awesome short description of what Godel showed about the limits of knowledge. “In 1931, Godel’s two famous theorems seemed to prove that there are mathematical facts independent of persons and language formalisms. In essence, his theorems proved that nobody can set up a formal system and then consistently state _about_ that … [Read more…]
Fatalism Is Mistaken
The future comes from all the thinking you do in the present. If your thinking changes the future, then fatalism doesn’t make sense.
The Universe Made Me Do It
The universe always works out the way it’s going to work out, even though that doesn’t necessarily mean it works out for you individually or even for the human species.
People, regardless of whether they assume free will or not, are willing to contain harmful behavior.
Natural Will and Justice
Though we do not regard a hurricane as “evil”, we still try to understand it, prepare for it, and repair after it. This hurricane, this force of nature, is in the same class as thieves and thugs.
Should criminals be detained by society? Probably. It’s a good first step. At the same time, society should exhibit compassion as far as possible. It is not through revenge that society betters itself, but by cooperation.