Looks like it. I see it as a promising theory. Weinersmith could have made his point more correct (Ctrl-F "What’s my middle name?") if he had talked about dU as a derivable signal. Calculus would have made the point more succinct, I think.
Then again, I try to think about these things computationally, while Zack is just trying to make a convincing argument.
Zack Weinersmith of SMBC fame has suggested an interesting artificial intelligence project: generate jokes by observing utility as a function of rate of change in initial understanding over time.
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