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lukeprog comments on Singularity Institute is now Machine Intelligence Research Institute - Less Wrong Discussion

32 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 31 January 2013 08:25AM

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Comment author: Xachariah 31 January 2013 11:10:40AM *  57 points [-]

The new acronym for the Singularity Institute is MIRI.

The first google hit is the wikipedia page for the Star Trek: TOS episode Miri (S1E8). It's about how 90% of the population of not-Earth was destroyed by an existential threat leaving nothing but irrational children. The crew find themselves under a death sentence from this threat and try to find a solution, but they need the children's help. However the children think themselves immune and immortal and won't assist. In the last seconds, the crew manages to convince the children that the existential threat cannot be ignored and must be solved or the kids will eventually die too. With their help, the crew saves the day and everyone lives happily ever after. Also, the episode was so ahead of it's time that even though it was reviewed as excellent, it got so many complaints that it was never rebroadcast for 20 years.

I think my symbolism detector just pegged off the charts then exploded.

Comment author: lukeprog 27 February 2013 05:26:29AM 4 points [-]

Near the end of the episode, Kirk is trying to persuade the irrational children to help him save the planet, and the children just keep yelling "Blah Blah Blah!"

Kirk says:

No "blah blah blah"! Because... if you don't help us, there won't be any games anymore. There won't be anything. Nothing... Forever and ever...

...I'm begging you: let me help you! Or there won't be anything left at all.