Category Archives: Uncategorized
OT82: Threado Quia Absurdum
This is the bi-weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. You can also talk at the SSC subreddit, the SSC Discord server. Also: 1. Comments of the week: CatCube on how organizations change over … Continue reading
Brief Cautionary Notes On Branded Combination Nootropics
I. Taking nootropics is an inherently questionable decision. The risk isn’t zero, and the benefits are usually subtle at best. On the other hand, mountain-climbing also has risks, and is so devoid of benefit that the only excuse mountaineers can … Continue reading
Open Thread 81.75
This is the twice-weekly hidden open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. You can also talk at the SSC subreddit, the SSC Discord server, or the Cafe Chesscourt forum.
The Lizard People Of Alpha Draconis 1 Decided To Build An Ansible
I. The lizard people of Alpha Draconis 1 decided to build an ansible. The transmitter was a colossal tower of silksteel, doorless and windowless. Inside were millions of modular silksteel cubes, each filled with beetles, a different species in every … Continue reading
Links 8/17: On The Site Of The Angels
Benjamin Lay was a four-foot-tall Quaker abolitionist who, among other unusual forms of activism, kidnapped a slaveowner’s child to give them a taste of what slaves had to go through. ProPublica: The Myth Of Drug Expiration Dates. Most drugs (strong … Continue reading
Contra Grant On Exaggerated Differences
I. An article by Adam Grant called Differences Between Men And Women Are Vastly Exaggerated is going viral, thanks in part to a share by Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg. It’s a response to an email by a Google employee saying … Continue reading
Open Thread 81.5
This is the twice-weekly hidden open thread. As the off-weekend thread, this is culture-war-free, so please try try to avoid overly controversial topics. You can also talk at the SSC subreddit, the SSC Discord server, or the Cafe Chesscourt forum.
Why Not More Excitement About Prediction Aggregation?
There’s a new ad on the sidebar for Metaculus, a crowd-sourced prediction engine that tries to get well-calibrated forecasts on mostly scientific topics. If you’re wondering how likely it is that a genetically-engineered baby will be born in the next … Continue reading
Open Thread 81.25
This is the twice-weekly hidden open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. You can also talk at the SSC subreddit, the SSC Discord server, or the Cafe Chesscourt forum.
Where The Falling Einstein Meets The Rising Mouse
Eliezer Yudkowsky argues that forecasters err in expecting artificial intelligence progress to look like this: …when in fact it will probably look like this: That is, we naturally think there’s a pretty big intellectual difference between mice and chimps, and … Continue reading