Nostr notes by Zach Weinersmith

I need to talk less about tech and econ on this site. Did you ...

2026-09-28T18:05:32Z

I need to talk less about tech and econ on this site.

Did you know about the Northern Bayberry, Myrica Pennsylvania?

DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN USE ITS BERRIES TO MAKE CANDLES? This was a traditional use for many years. I'm trying to grow some.

Pieper is using this as part of a larger argument claiming ...

2026-09-02T17:29:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…d63a
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Pieper is using this as part of a larger argument claiming Ancients and Medievals had a different conception of labor/work; specifically that it was not instrumentally good in the way moderns tend to think.

For context, Pieper is arguing against the idea that labor is in ...

2026-09-02T17:29:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…gkky
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For context, Pieper is arguing against the idea that labor is in and of itself valuable. His points is that Christians think loving your enemy is valuable because it's hard, but Aquinas says no, the highest valuable is you've obtained such perfect love that you automatically love your enemies.

Hot stuff from PIeper citing Aquinas ...

2026-09-02T17:27:06Z

Hot stuff from PIeper citing Aquinas
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreig5xsw4b4jrfq3i3yfyfph4avfd32fmym4ua6av7dei63jnxmrf54

Working on more comedy gold ...

2026-09-02T14:37:41Z

Working on more comedy gold
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreib6v4ralur3ydilgjf3wpeet2lsfz3jvkwnnmcjdzqmz24p5qa76m

Had an experience recently talking to a mathematician friend ...

2026-09-02T12:28:51Z

Had an experience recently talking to a mathematician friend about AI, and I asked why some math people are having existential crisis and some are excited. And he corrected me saying those things aren't mutually exclusive, and he himself often felt both at once.

But basically, from the year I was born to now, the average ...

2026-09-01T13:19:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…0urt
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But basically, from the year I was born to now, the average Ghanaian earns 4x more!

Ha, sorry, that's just a graph going up. It's GDP per ...

2026-09-01T13:18:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…htph
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Ha, sorry, that's just a graph going up. It's GDP per capita, inflation adjusted.

Just because there's a lot of pessimism on this site, did you ...

2026-09-01T13:17:58Z

Just because there's a lot of pessimism on this site, did you know that a ton of African economies are finally hitting rapid development? E.g.
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreiagzekq42wm3hsblyccoscqod2nabkdyg4p27n7yo44d6vo2ibrqi

Remember making fun of Boomers and thinking the future would be ...

2026-08-31T19:59:17Z

Remember making fun of Boomers and thinking the future would be more media savvy, and now the news comes from TikTok reaction videos.

Reading Higginbotham's very comprehensive book "Midnight ...

2026-08-31T13:29:53Z

Reading Higginbotham's very comprehensive book "Midnight in Chernobyl" and it's good but hard. Particularly poignant is a scene where an American doctor arrives, and the Soviets are distressed that he's not bringing any super-tech that will save all the people with radiation sickness.

Nostr event nevent1qqsgfp86nzepav202xz6df38sq754d32gvs3q9rye4ee8jf2ve4ksvczyqdjrnrjp484dde78nlxea4gxjck7ztu6cgurpzmsq4g5w3xm8qr76pmask

2026-08-30T18:39:41Z

Solved
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreid7q6i6bhzufts3aa556optepr5gmmsa6tteduxkeelohyow7elbq

Like I think reading between the lines is important, but this ...

2026-08-29T14:51:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…v6jj
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Like I think reading between the lines is important, but this thing where many people seem to default to "what you're actually saying is what I would need you to say so I could be mad at you" is very foreign to me, and is a big part of what makes platforms unpleasant.

A weird thing from my experience among economists and ...

2026-08-29T14:51:44Z

A weird thing from my experience among economists and philosophers is that, more than other groups as far as I can tell, people tend to read their words as masking some other, more sinister meaning. Which is funny because they're usually finicky about clarity, and wish they had more readers.

1) She's well ahead in math (addictive videos are very ...

2026-08-27T11:07:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…f0n9
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1) She's well ahead in math (addictive videos are very motivating!)
2) The videos lose addictiveness when you have to sit and concentrate on soething hard in between
3) She's in control of how much she wants to do, which gives a sense of agency, and keeps our relationship good
4) Self confidence!

Incidentally, none of this was done as a trick. I explained ...

2026-08-27T11:07:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…fch5
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Incidentally, none of this was done as a trick. I explained exactly why I was doing it (along with the usual Millennial Dad spiel about how girls can do math, gender isn't in tension with algebra, etc.).

Dunno if this'll work for anyone else, but something we ...

2026-08-27T11:07:12Z

Dunno if this'll work for anyone else, but something we started with my now 12-year-old during covid was "you can do x minutes of addictive youtube stuff for x amount of math learning" and it has worked *bizarrely* well. Maybe wouldn't work for every kid but the benefits have been:

Also, speaking as a Jew married to a Catholic, the main ...

2026-08-26T20:29:43Z

In reply to nevent1q…7sl8
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Also, speaking as a Jew married to a Catholic, the main similarity in educational approach is that Jews shame for particular failures whereas Catholics just shame in general. In practice, it ends up about the same.

I'm allowed to say this because he's my brother, but man ...

2026-08-26T20:26:53Z

I'm allowed to say this because he's my brother, but man the Jews are in charge of everything these days. [forward.com/news/846965/...](https://forward.com/news/846965/assumption-university-greg-weiner/ )

[Meet the only Jewish president...](https://forward.com/news/846965/assumption-university-greg-weiner/ )

I know we're not at the 2028 elections yet, but which party ...

2026-08-26T19:57:47Z

I know we're not at the 2028 elections yet, but which party is promising to bring back ThinkGeek?

You really don't want to say "if we kill everyone who ...

2026-08-26T19:05:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…wh60
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You really don't want to say "if we kill everyone who opposes slavery, all the intuition points in the same direction, therefore it's okay." BUT, if you want to avoid that consequences, you have to believe there's some sort of free-floating morality "out there."

Unless you want a kind of Platonic ethics, where God (or whoever) ...

2026-08-26T19:05:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…garw
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Unless you want a kind of Platonic ethics, where God (or whoever) wrote in "no murder" the same time He was designing quarks, you have to say they arise from relationships humans. But then you get this problem which is you'd really like to say certain things are bad even if everyone says they're OK.

So I've been reading more ethical philosophy lately and ...

2026-08-26T19:05:09Z

So I've been reading more ethical philosophy lately and trying to understand why it's so slippery. You start with a bunch of plausible premises and there are always results that seem morally disastrous.

It seems to me part of what's up is you're stuck between two things:

The only thing that will protect you is epistemic hygiene. ...

2026-08-26T17:29:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…gymj
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The only thing that will protect you is epistemic hygiene. Sources, reasoning, humility. It is not a luxury. Especially when you're emotionally engaged.

But if you're trying to fuck up another country's ...

2026-08-26T17:29:13Z

In reply to nevent1q…gy2k
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But if you're trying to fuck up another country's politics, you're just making existing views dumber and angrier. Look how they piggybacked on BLM protests, further inflamed tensions, then broadcast the results to conservatives primed to be angry.

Appropos of that joke about psyops, I really think it'd be ...

2026-08-26T17:29:13Z

Appropos of that joke about psyops, I really think it'd be good for people to read up on how Russian interference actually went down: [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interne...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Research_Agency )

I've had a bunch of bsky users say their ideology couldn't be coopted because why would Russians support [insert issue].

[Internet Research Agency - Wik...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Research_Agency )

What I believe I'm come to realize is "Stitch voice" ...

2026-08-25T23:58:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…ms8a
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What I believe I'm come to realize is "Stitch voice" is just a natural way of sounding that occurs from time to time, seemingly more in women for some reason, when you hold your mouth/throat the way many French speakers do, but (as far as I know) Anglophones never do.

So I listen to a decent amount of semi-random French media, and I ...

2026-08-25T23:58:30Z

So I listen to a decent amount of semi-random French media, and I thought I was noticing a particular accent, where the voice gets pushed into the throat, sounding like Stitch from the Disney movie. But I asked francophones, and they couldn't even hear what I was talking about!

[Points de vue sur l’IA (1/5) -...](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/points-de-vue-sur-lia-1-5-clara-chappaz-il-est/id1340227916?i=1000778149306 )

For an example, listen to 5:00 in this podcast: ...

2026-08-25T23:58:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…n2g4
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For an example, listen to 5:00 in this podcast: [podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/points-de-vue-sur-lia-1-5-clara-chappaz-il-est/id1340227916?i=1000778149306 )

The host starts talking "normally," then about 5-10 seconds later slips into "Stitch voice" for a bit.

[Points de vue sur l’IA (1/5) -...](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/points-de-vue-sur-lia-1-5-clara-chappaz-il-est/id1340227916?i=1000778149306 )

More and more I think a lot of people's response to recent ai ...

2026-08-25T17:45:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…eunt
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More and more I think a lot of people's response to recent ai developments is conditioned on their job, as well as the way their job reflects their disposition? Like, before engineers become engineers, they're *already* people who are like "I don't care about the tool, what's the goal?"

Was talking to a math friend about book projects, and he said ...

2026-08-25T17:43:05Z

Was talking to a math friend about book projects, and he said more or less "do you think there's still a point in making books?" The math people are getting realllll existential :/

I really feel like people would be less shocked by corporations ...

2026-08-25T16:10:38Z

I really feel like people would be less shocked by corporations if they understood that the corporation exists to make money, and that's true when they're with you and against you. The infamous Pepsi protest commercial is maybe the funniest version of this.

I do not care about humanoid robot races. But if there would be a ...

2026-08-24T20:56:54Z

I do not care about humanoid robot races. But if there would be a race to have robots clean a kitchen, I would watch it even if it took a month.

Like if you met a British dude who thought that, he would be ...

2026-08-24T15:57:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…df23
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Like if you met a British dude who thought that, he would be raving in a park. In the US (I grew up in Texas), it's smalltalk in a waiting room with some people.

Btw, one thing about the US that I've had trouble explaining ...

2026-08-24T15:57:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…f9vc
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Btw, one thing about the US that I've had trouble explaining to people not from here: the weird thing isn't the gun culture (though it is weird), it's that you well meet regular-ass, normal, salt-of-the-Earth people who think you should learn to keep an AR-15 to overthrow the government if needed.

Without insulting anyone here, honestly, I'm amazed by how ...

2026-08-24T15:56:34Z

Without insulting anyone here, honestly, I'm amazed by how many smart, reasonable, regular-ass people think the odds are high that some UFO sightings are aliens. It's just as foreign to my brain as the people you'd often meet in Texas who are totally normal and keep an armory in the closet.

I do wish people would cram, deep in their souls, the idea of a ...

2026-08-24T12:33:58Z

I do wish people would cram, deep in their souls, the idea of a base rate. One of my best parenting experiences was when my daughter was freaked out about a relative possibly having cancer (she was in the hospital) and I explained how I couldn't rule it out but that the base rate was low.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:znbyv54us4ouk3tlma5hg5db/post/3mttcmqpwy22l

The evidence that they're lying can't consist of their ...

2026-08-24T12:22:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…d2yk
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The evidence that they're lying can't consist of their position itself, because now you've logically ruled out that anyone can ever sincerely disagree with you.

Moreover, shouldn't you also assume that people who agree with you are also likely to be paid agents?

Haha, almost every response is saying actually I am ...

2026-08-24T12:22:52Z

Haha, almost every response is saying actually I am insufficiently paranoid. So let me clarify:

What I mean is that even if there are paid actors on the Internet (and more recently, pretty convincing bots), that doesn't mean it's the null hypothesis.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3/post/3mtt6ibgb3c24

quoting
note1lps…7ccc

Have you felt that post 2016 there’s been more paranoia about “psyops” ? Like the belief that people or groups that disagree with you can be assumed without evidence to be paid government or corporate stooges.

Have you felt that post 2016 there’s been more paranoia about ...

2026-08-24T11:16:01Z

Have you felt that post 2016 there’s been more paranoia about “psyops” ? Like the belief that people or groups that disagree with you can be assumed without evidence to be paid government or corporate stooges.

Like, in the same way that the smell of sunscreen and watermelon ...

2026-08-24T00:09:48Z

In reply to nevent1q…wdfn
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Like, in the same way that the smell of sunscreen and watermelon is summer, there is something about a used ashtray that brings out Past.

One of the genuinely weird things to describe now is how ...

2026-08-24T00:09:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…w88n
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One of the genuinely weird things to describe now is how nostalgic cigarette smoke is for a lot of us. I was in an old government building the other day, and the elevator had ashtrays that still had that stale tobacco smell from ages ago and it brought me right back to being 10.

If you're in your 20s and want to experience what the 80s was ...

2026-08-24T00:08:28Z

If you're in your 20s and want to experience what the 80s was like, go to an Embassy Suites. I hadn't been to one in ages, then stayed at the one by the airport in Austin. They have not changed the decor since something like 1983. Just put out a lot of ashtrays and it's a time machine.

To me kowtowing would be responding in kind. It’s doing what ...

2026-08-23T15:38:22Z

In reply to nevent1q…x9la
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To me kowtowing would be responding in kind. It’s doing what they want most of the time.

For those of you who, like me, are wimps who don't like the ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

For those of you who, like me, are wimps who don't like the confrontational nature of social media, but who nevertheless enjoy meeting people and hearing contrary views, maybe this'll be valuable:

For about the last 5 years I've tried (imperfectly) never declaiming, always asking.

One thing very indicative of the problem to me is that if you ask ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…efqx
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One thing very indicative of the problem to me is that if you ask people to not use fallacies or be mean, the response is often "it's not a debate society." But it's worth saying that the reason for debate rules to exist is so that in talking we can seek understanding.

Weird in that, taken as a whole, it's as if people made a ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…j8z0
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Weird in that, taken as a whole, it's as if people made a pastiche from bits of speeches, jokes they thought of in the shower, and de-nuanced in-group signaling. A lot of it, in any other context, would seem childish or obnoxious, and yet we accept it, or even add to it, on these platforms.

Like I believe a lot of the time if you said the same thing in ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…nt08
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Like I believe a lot of the time if you said the same thing in person, and then were asked "do you really mean that?" you'd immediately back off!

If instead you spend time elaborating, and ask questions more than make declarations, the results can be much more rewarding.

I think this is perhaps valuable in general, but the other thing ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…fmy8
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I think this is perhaps valuable in general, but the other thing is it more closely approximates how we actually talk to each other when we're together. Try to imagine the kind of stuff you see on social media being said in person. It's *weird* even when you're in total agreement.

The existence of the rules tells you what the default is apt to ...

2026-08-23T14:02:09Z

In reply to nevent1q…z83j
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The existence of the rules tells you what the default is apt to be!

Anyway, in doing this sort of thing, I find it's often not that hard to have real conversations with people you disagree with, and then you end up with new perspectives, and sometimes book/paper recommendations.

Or anyway, in principle could've been. I do think the ...

2026-08-23T12:46:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…plg7
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Or anyway, in principle could've been. I do think the underlying math (networks being exponentially more valuable as members join) insists you eventually get a Mark Zuckerberg.

Do you think there's a way history plays out differently if some policy or norm was in place in, say, 2005?

I was reading an author recently talking about how we don't ...

2026-08-23T12:46:51Z

I was reading an author recently talking about how we don't appreciate the way that email isn't siloed. That is, you don't have to be in gmail to talk to someone else in gmail. The norm is so powerful, it'd be unthinkable to change it. All email is interoperable. Social media could've been this way.

Continue to believe a movie called "Three Hours of Lighsaber ...

2026-08-22T18:00:23Z

Continue to believe a movie called "Three Hours of Lighsaber Fights, Soundtrack By Daft Punk" would make more box office than the entire prior history of film.

HOT TAKE Nozick's Experience Machine isn't about desire ...

2026-08-22T16:30:31Z

HOT TAKE

Nozick's Experience Machine isn't about desire for real life but about loss aversion. You can convince yourself of this by imagining someone tells you you're already in the machine, then says they can let you into the real, much worse, world.

So this was fascinating: ...

2026-08-22T15:51:13Z

So this was fascinating: [www.theargumentmag.com/p/who-suppor...](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/who-supports-free-trade-everyone )

Feels like we've been in an ongoing political realignment at least since Trump, and I still don't think I have my footing.

(reactions welcome, hot takes less so)
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreieksknrw3ybmqeszqpncwnmfj7fn3coudv35vry52f3qgiti26h5m
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreighbfecgukkl23linw6ajqncssh4pzqjpcdgmig7img2pisqzbdoy

Like we thought we'd get a terminator apocalypse, but instead ...

2026-08-21T12:11:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…a6g6
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Like we thought we'd get a terminator apocalypse, but instead we get a sort of Internet Kessler Syndrome.

I feel I cannot overstate the extent to which this sort of thing, ...

2026-08-21T12:11:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…qaz5
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I feel I cannot overstate the extent to which this sort of thing, non-stop, is a likely future outcome. Bots everywhere, ever more subtle, often fighting each other.

Nostr event nevent1qqsgslffwe7g4uxtzgcput66ntwwwpnzs2sj54h5xldcdjpaaz77yfgzyqdjrnrjp484dde78nlxea4gxjck7ztu6cgurpzmsq4g5w3xm8qr766dw0n

2026-08-21T12:10:00Z

Amazing
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreid4a32dslwtu5u6swukfea4obtripjw4ratvayv5rp5mjvme5zemi

Looks like a lot of people are now following my posts purely to ...

2026-08-19T15:24:11Z

Looks like a lot of people are now following my posts purely to yell at me. While I have your attention, I'm going to share a favorite poem:
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreihl4pplvcufml5jg7vrshc6z7bmc2by5dsj56lkqfbmhvj5kxidru

I would be very happy to read a constructive explanation of how a ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…9smg
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I would be very happy to read a constructive explanation of how a neural network on a computer has literally nothing in common with a human mind, but the arguments I've encountered so far have not been convincing. Perhaps this is somewhat about the subjective meaning of "in common with."

Also Turing looking at human computers to think about how the ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…e6kc
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Also Turing looking at human computers to think about how the mind does math. The ENIAC report talking about then-current understanding of neurons. And, of course, the modeling of neural networks on, well, neurons.

C) Some people think the way current machine learning works is so ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…k6hd
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C) Some people think the way current machine learning works is so alien from the human mind that they can't be considered even on the same spectrum. This is a bit fuzzy, but I believe I largely disagree.

B) many people only object to ai art on economic grounds, e.g. ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…nluu
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B) many people only object to ai art on economic grounds, e.g. putting artists out of work. I am for very obvious reasons quite sympathetic to this viewpoint, though I think an opponent could reasonably say "why do you want this for yourself but not all the other long-automated jobs?"

Anyway, I regret that the last post seems to have convinced a lot ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…y0lk
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Anyway, I regret that the last post seems to have convinced a lot of bluesky users that I am here arguing in bad faith. All I can say is that when I say something and you think it's obviously stupid, the likeliest explanation is not that I'm a villain, but that the thing I said is indeed stupid!

There's a tendency to say "we always compare the latest ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…hkg0
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There's a tendency to say "we always compare the latest tech to the human mind." First, I am not sure that's true. It appears to come from an article in the 2010s with a small number of quotations. Second, even if it were true, it wouldn't prove things one way or the other.

Post yesterday went nasty so I switched off people's ability ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

Post yesterday went nasty so I switched off people's ability to quote-tweet (or whatever we call it). That said, I learned a lot of stuff from the thoughtful comments. I think in particular, a lot of people have intuitions that I don't, including:

(to which I think there ARE reasonable replies, e.g. that artist ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…7874
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(to which I think there ARE reasonable replies, e.g. that artist is not a substitutable job in the same way other jobs are; that eliminating many or most human artists severs an important human connection; that many care about a thriving arts ecosystem, etc)

A) many people think machines in principle cannot have subjective ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…l9m3
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A) many people think machines in principle cannot have subjective experience. This seems to me to require some sort of dualism, which I don't find convincing. It requires you to posit a new universe of physics, and often the claim boils down to gut feelings, aka "dualist seemings."

But a lot of the stuff said e.g. "it can't work in ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…xsuy
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But a lot of the stuff said e.g. "it can't work in parallel" or "it doesn't have goals" is stuff you can already fix with software. And arguments like "it sucks at inference" are demonstrably true, but don't seem germane to me.

Compared to us, chimps suck at inference, but their brains seem ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…wx8s
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Compared to us, chimps suck at inference, but their brains seem to clearly be on the same spectrum as ours, not different in kind.

Third, if you are familiar with the history of computers (and ...

2026-08-19T13:55:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…587c
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Third, if you are familiar with the history of computers (and their two threads through logic and machines for computation) you know how people all along the process were thinking about minds/thought/etc. E.g. Leibniz' calculus ratiocinator, Boole's "Laws of Thought."

For me the strongest critique of midcentury continental ...

2026-08-17T19:48:45Z

For me the strongest critique of midcentury continental philosophy as purposefully inscrutable comes from The Myth of Sisyphus, the body of which is practically unreadable word salad, but the later preface (also by Camus!) is clear and insightful.

Separate from what you think of current models, suppose there ...

2026-08-16T20:53:25Z

Separate from what you think of current models, suppose there were AIs that could think as well as humans. So, the product they deliver is cognition. Do you think the demand for cognition is essentially unlimited, or would it be something that fairly rapidly peaks, like railroad, number of cars etc

Tried posting this to reddit and RE: ...

2026-08-16T15:40:00Z

Tried posting this to reddit and

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:bfppgmqz6i2uwkm7ynoqigfw/post/3mt4yiky6562e
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreiaet7oqwvy4jix6dlfsqvwh74qhujf32e3hwhxe234nrupcswqaru

Confession: I use social media, but I literally never check ...

2026-08-16T11:33:29Z

Confession:

I use social media, but I literally never check feeds. I post questions I find interesting and share my comics and enjoy reactions most of the time. Sorry for free-riding on y'all! Honestly, I dunno how artists can handle reading algorithmic feeds.

Holy shit. I heard about a plant called Toona sinensis (sometimes ...

2026-08-15T21:18:02Z

Holy shit.

I heard about a plant called Toona sinensis (sometimes "toon," or "beef and onion tree) reputed to have a uniquely meaty taste. I sprouted some seeds and today thinned them out. I ate the leftover sprouts and, my God.

I've been a vegetarian for decades and it tasted like hamburger.

Whycome isn't somewhy a word? Somewhy whycome isn't ...

2026-08-12T20:22:42Z

Whycome isn't somewhy a word? Somewhy whycome isn't either :/

Possibly it's just that I'm more aware but we seem to be ...

2026-08-12T14:47:46Z

Possibly it's just that I'm more aware but we seem to be at a time where a number of new (or neo versions of old) social movements with ideological devotees are being created. As far as I'm aware, no religions (in the sense of genuine supernatural beliefs) but perhaps that's coming?

Man, the people who want AI to supercede humanity... the thing ...

2026-08-12T12:49:51Z

Man, the people who want AI to supercede humanity... the thing that really gets me is that I can wrap my head around wanting some sort of moral god-like successor, but what about the part where your kids are, what, killed? Sterilized? Put in a zoo?

Bam. I had the honor to work on a (fairly silly) scientific paper ...

2026-08-10T19:17:49Z

Bam.

I had the honor to work on a (fairly silly) scientific paper about space settlement with Dr. Abramitzky a few years ago, so it's very cool when he comes out swinging with a paper like this. [www.nber.org/papers/w35560](https://www.nber.org/papers/w35560 )
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreibagsoum2rw2rbz63wto5fzzpen2dyejbwmhrldddtqrb464kyjte

If you had to bet, how long before a Millenium Prize Problem is ...

2026-08-10T17:21:30Z

If you had to bet, how long before a Millenium Prize Problem is solved largely or entirely by machine intelligence? (you can also say "never")

Being specific, what do you think is the role (or roles) of ...

2026-08-10T14:51:01Z

Being specific, what do you think is the role (or roles) of science communication? Possibilities:

1) Educate kids, get more scientists, make life better
2) Science improves knowledge/reasoning, so better citizens/voters
3) Is neat, want to share

So in the last 12 months or so I started getting a LOT of ...

2026-08-09T20:59:09Z

So in the last 12 months or so I started getting a LOT of ai-generated scam emails about my books. But this one is the funniest
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreicaonfybvv6k2tkajnxez432t33n6r57fslrui3zdugu5gpvbrdvq

Once again "there's aluminum" is not a strong ...

2026-08-07T20:44:27Z

Once again "there's aluminum" is not a strong argument for going to the Moon. If there were bars of gold on the Moon's surface, it would not be worth it to get them. Why don't these articles ever talk to an economist? Or just a boring person?

[fortune.com/2026/08/06/p...](https://fortune.com/2026/08/06/pure-insanityelon-musk-details-spacexs-plan-to-turn-the-moon-into-its-newest-manufacturing-site/ )

[‘Pure insanity’—Elon Musk deta...](https://fortune.com/2026/08/06/pure-insanityelon-musk-details-spacexs-plan-to-turn-the-moon-into-its-newest-manufacturing-site/ )

Full comic here: ...

2026-08-07T15:31:13Z

Full comic here: [www.smbc-comics.com/comic/paracosm](https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/paracosm ) #smbc #comics
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreicfu72zm5gnnlgxzk7mjakb77ob747flrgipn2dbaqzsrrglzvqwy

Of all the future Ai stuff I can imagine as extremely uncanny, ...

2026-08-04T01:11:21Z

Of all the future Ai stuff I can imagine as extremely uncanny, having a machine that can just keep producing really funny text-based humor would be one of the uncanniest. Actual funny jokes are extremely rare and few people can create them.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3/post/3ms7szsj2hc27

quoting
note1x7m…g8gg

uh oh [arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629 )
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreidmh5ovho3qmwrm7wsxq7yyvytiilhl4ub2o4eqqeicqdr272xq7a

uh oh [arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629 ...

2026-08-04T01:05:17Z

uh oh [arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2604.09629 )
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreidmh5ovho3qmwrm7wsxq7yyvytiilhl4ub2o4eqqeicqdr272xq7a

favorite movie trivia: till the day he died, David Bowie never ...

2026-08-02T17:21:23Z

favorite movie trivia: till the day he died, David Bowie never realized that The Labyrinth was a movie.

Are there informal rules in film and TV for what accent a ghost ...

2026-08-01T23:50:35Z

Are there informal rules in film and TV for what accent a ghost can have? My impression is outside of comedy they have to have a standard accent, a country accent, or an old-fashioned accent of some kind. But you couldn’t have for example a modern New Yorker or Boston accent.

What's the argument against legalizing victimless crimes? I ...

2026-08-01T13:58:02Z

What's the argument against legalizing victimless crimes? I was reading Alvin Roth's book and (tw) he says in natural experiments the rate of sexual assault declines a LOT when sex work gets legalized. Seems the argument for drug legalization is pretty strong too? Would love to hear disagreement.

There's lots of stuff LLMs can't do, but if you want to ...

2026-08-01T13:32:53Z

There's lots of stuff LLMs can't do, but if you want to disbelieve all the recent math, you have to believe a bunch of Fields Medalists with long track records are just straightforwardly lying about the thing they care most about. Here's a recent blog by Gowers: [gowers.wordpress.com/2026/05/08/a...](https://gowers.wordpress.com/2026/05/08/a-recent-experience-with-chatgpt-5-5-pro/#more-6666 )

[A recent experience with ChatG...](https://gowers.wordpress.com/2026/05/08/a-recent-experience-with-chatgpt-5-5-pro/#more-6666 )

Doing some of my famous relatable humor ...

2026-07-31T14:37:20Z

Doing some of my famous relatable humor
https://amanita.us-east.host.bsky.network/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did=did:plc:o72ypk5c474zqklkukaphuy3&cid=bafkreifvrddkmoyz5ma5prxhhhmmvvjhw7r26dew25sj724d65qn2dk24m

This'll lend itself to hot takes, but let's discuss: Do ...

2026-07-31T00:47:39Z

This'll lend itself to hot takes, but let's discuss:

Do you think of fascism as ideologically thin or thick? Meaning, is it largely an aesthetic (us vs. them, regenerative violence, national rebirth, glorious leader) as opposed to a set of coherent policy goals e.g. trade, healthcare, taxes etc?

I have this idea for a shirt where it's one guy eating a ...

2026-07-30T17:27:16Z

I have this idea for a shirt where it's one guy eating a murdered man's brain and saying "look, there's no ethical consumption under capitalism." And the problem is I would mean it just as a funny twist on a phrase, not as an opinion.

You know, I'm not a vegan, but the arguments against veganism ...

2026-07-30T16:48:34Z

You know, I'm not a vegan, but the arguments against veganism often strike me as extraordinarily weak. Like the strongest ones are about cost and wherewithal.

Weirdly profound for a wednesday morning on social media RE: ...

2026-07-29T12:25:06Z

Weirdly profound for a wednesday morning on social media

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6scybxq5clwrbp6fbaqmrqrx/post/3mrrvriy4rk2g

Well that sucks. ...

2026-07-29T11:18:50Z

Well that sucks. [www.engadget.com/2225849/goog...](https://www.engadget.com/2225849/google-shuts-down-alphafold/ )

Least bummer interpretation: AlphaFold served its purpose, DeepMind already spun off a drug lab, so it was time to reassign the time.

[Google shuts down its Nobel-pr...](https://www.engadget.com/2225849/google-shuts-down-alphafold/ )

Reading some of the commentary on the Odyssey movie, I'm ...

2026-07-27T20:38:21Z

Reading some of the commentary on the Odyssey movie, I'm reminded of how lucky it felt to be doing Beowulf as a kids' book, in that you kind of can adapt an older morality (harm foes, help friends) because you're depicting kids, for whom that sensibility is natural.

One of the weirdest things about the modern internet is we have ...

2026-07-27T17:29:57Z

One of the weirdest things about the modern internet is we have exquisite indexing of everything, but often it's really really hard to find stuff? Like if you hear a candidate is getting popular and want to see a speech, search engines return 400 reactions to the speech, not the speech.

If you had a robot butler... A) Do you want it to have a ...

2026-07-24T20:00:58Z

If you had a robot butler...

A) Do you want it to have a personality at all?

B) If so, a consistent/persistent personality or something like an instance with notes on preferences

C) If a persistent personality, do you want it to act as if it has moral standing, e.g. ability to suffer