Minds_Eye comments on To Spread Science, Keep It Secret - Less Wrong

37 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 28 March 2008 05:47AM

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Comment author: MixedNuts 16 January 2012 10:13:48PM 15 points [-]

Wait, can't we actually do that? People start cults all the time. We could start our own, teaching deep secrets that are actually true. We won't bring it up, but when an initiate asks "Hey, isn't this exactly what they teach in college?", nod and say "Yes, but it's more fun our way.". Making your own light bulb might still look pretty mundane, so it loses some of the cult competition, but it's still more fun that school.

Comment author: Minds_Eye 05 December 2014 07:02:18PM 0 points [-]

Is this idea actualy do-able, if so it sounds like it would be fun. The obvious questions (to me) are:

How do you screen for membership, and can we do this in real life without the government(s) screwing it over?

Comment author: ike 05 December 2014 07:11:58PM 2 points [-]

Rule #1: don't talk about starting a cult in a public place.

Comment author: Minds_Eye 11 December 2014 07:37:01PM *  0 points [-]

...If I actually wanted to start a cult I wouldn't post it. I was thinking something of starting something akin to the secular solstice. (Though I doubt most people could tell a cult from a group like this.)

Also Rule #74: When I create a multimedia presentation of my plan designed so that my five-year-old advisor can easily understand the details, I will not label the disk "Project Overlord" and leave it lying on top of my desk.

(We are on the Evil Overlord checklist right? I never finished copying it down.)