Vladimir_Nesov comments on Singularity Institute pitch and new project plus other organizations in our ecosystem - Less Wrong
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Comments (11)
It's not clear what the new project is about. Transcript of part of the video (starting at 5:09 in):
Is SIAI getting into nutrition science? (It was hopefully just an example confusingly used, but the wording in the talk seems to imply that it's really about nutrition science, and that about 20 scientists will be hired by SIAI over the next few years to research nutrition.)
Nutrition is introduced earlier in the talk with the phrase "For example, consider nutrition," and more examples are mentioned later, so I don't think you have to worry.
Personally, I would be quite excited if a bunch of really smart people got onto nutrition research.
I would guess the intention was otherwise, but the fact that the word 'nutrition' is used twice is rather strange.
Edit: After watching most of the video it seems Vassar is suggesting that nutrition -- amongst other possible fields -- be selected for a sort of intensive, cultivated overhaul, by hand selecting and supporting highly capable researchers. Interesting idea.
Of course, there already are many privately funded research groups, perhaps some working in nutrition, so the secret sauce SIAI would be bringing to the table would have to be an exceptional eye for capable researchers, and perhaps exceptional management to boot. Those are both things I would suspect SIAI to be good at, or to be able to become good at.
Hm - there already is a science of nutrition (a bit well established as part of the medical sciences, not changing radically every few decades - though obviously progress happens), it's just the non-science that sells better.