EDIT: added the "rights of parents" and "simulation hypothesis" research interests.

I've started a lot of research projects and have a lot of research interests that I don't currently have time to develop on my own. So I'm putting the research interests together on this page, and anyone can let me know if they're interested in doing any joint projects on these topics. This can range from coauthoring, to simply having a conversation about these and seeing where that goes.

The possible research topics are:

• Reduced impact AI (this is one I'm certainly going to be returning to, once I have the time).
• The Fermi paradox and universal colonisation.
• Anthropic decision theory (extending it to include quantum mechanics).
• How to divide the gains from trade/to negotiate/to achieve "fairness"/to avoid blackmail.
• Oracle AI and the (non-)differences between tool AIs and agents
• General assessments of predictions and experts (including counterfactual resiliency).
• The future of surveillance.
• The risks of singleton world governments and mass-em worlds.
• Anthropic shadows for multiple risks.
• The potential limitations of the Turing test as an accurate general intelligence test.
• Extending the orthogonality thesis to realistic AI designs.
• Infinite ethics.
• The cake or death problem for value loading: whether it's fully solved or whether similar problems remain.
• The problems with total utilitarianism.
• The problems with CEV (and potential solutions).
• Whether AIXI would end protecting itself or not.
• The rights of parents versus others in determining the genetic modifications of their children (and the efficiency of the markets in these kinds of modifications).
• Exploring the consequences of the simulation hypothesis, as Joshua Fox did.

There are many projects that would benefit people interested in living rationally but that no individuals are motivated enough to do (more). The Public Goods Team is trying to encourage and facilitate systematic and organized work on such projects. One of our first steps is to identify the projects that are the lowest hanging fruit: those projects which are high value, and inexpensive (in terms of time, motivation, money etc.). We have come up with a preliminary list of such projects (below). What are other such projects?

1. Further contributions to the Science of Winning at Life sequence: 

1.1. Cognitive science of learning

1.2. Cognitive science of memory

1.3. Ergonomics

1.4. Behavioral conditioning

1.6. Fashion

1.7. Self control/conscienciousness research

2. Guides for explicitly applying LW material to your life, smaller sequences and exercises

3. Anki cards for the sequences and other useful topics/books

4. Introductory material that gets people hooked

5. User friendly guides to existing LW material

6. Meetup materials:

6.1. Exercises

6.1.1. Anti-rationalization

6.2. Notes and slides for presentations on specific topics

6.3. Game how-tos 

6.4. Rejection therapy

6.4.1. Repetition

7. Book reviews on potentially useful books

7.1. Selfish Reasons to have more kids (critique/review)

7.2. Consciousness Explained

8. Cleaning up cognitive bias Wikipedia entries

9. Developing exercises and tests that help understand or improve rationality 

9.1. A large set of good calibration questions

9.2. A good website for taking calibration tests

10. Financial analyses, like Brandon Reinhart's analysis of SIAI

10.1. The Cryonics Institute

10.2. Alcor

10.3. FHI

11. Resources/Advice to help people do projects

11.1. Advice for doing research

11.1.1. Doing literature reviews

11.1.2. Dealing with publication bias

11.1.3. Signs of researcher bias

11.1.4. Searching for critical viewpoints, alternative theories, disconfirming evidence

11.1.5. How do you know when you're done? 

12. Improvements to LW's site

12.1. Creation of a LW hosting image to drastically reduce the work needed to work on less wrong

12.2. Selenium tests for the less wrong site so that bugs are caught faster

12.3. Larger user pages

12.4. A better front page for lesswrong (prize?)

12.5. Setting up other language version of LW and/or translations 

12.5.1. Russian 

12.5.2. Portuguese

12.5.3. Spanish

I want to figure out how to solve LessWrong's public goods problem. There are lots of projects that lots of people are moderately interested in but not interested enough to do themselves. For example:

• Further contributions to the Science of Winning at Life sequence: cognitive science of learning, cognitive science of memory, ergonomics, behavioral conditioning, fashion, productivity and no doubt many others
• Explicit guides to applying LW material to your life, smaller sequences and exercises
• Introductory material that gets people hooked, MoR is great, but surely there should be other avenues
• User friendly guides to existing LW material
• Meetup materials: exercises, slides, games, lectures etc.
• Book reviews on important topics (this book needs critique summary/review)
• The cognitive bias Wikipedia entries need serious cleanup 
• Developing exercises and tests that help understand or improve rationality (this website could use much better questions and interface)
• Financial analyses, like BrandonReinhart's analysis of SIAI, of The Cryonics Institute and Alcor 

Right now the only way those projects get done there's one person with enough intrinsic interest in the project that they do it mostly regardless of the benefits to others. We need ways to focus dispersed interest into intense interest in people willing and able to do particular projects (different ways that might be accomplished). 

I think figuring out how to do that is probably best done by a small team, but I am not sure who else might be interested.

I need two other people enthusiastic about solving LessWrong's public goods problem to be part of that team. What would be involved? We'd meet to discuss what things are most likely to ameliorate the public goods problem and the best way to execute them, do research on what works elsewhere and experiment with ideas. For example, I've been slowly experimenting with contests in the hopes that money, prestige and competition will be good motivators. I would like to do more contests, but I could really use help coming up with good test contest ideas, coming up with a good contest formats, and judging contests. 

Any volunteers?

Update: We've started a mailing list for this project.

I want to make a list of companies that are affiliated with transhumanism. I'm looking for companies pursuing transhumanist goals (ex: VR, gene sequencing) or built by transhumanists themselves (ex: arguably Elon Musk).

What places do you know of? Which look like cool places to work? Extra points if you've worked there.

Aside from my personal reasons for seeking those companies (internships, research for future projects), I think a list of transhumanist companies will be a good thing to keep around for other future endeavors.

Also: The Seasteading Institute, SIAI, BioCurious, etc are all incredibly cool, but I'm not looking for non-profits. 

My list so far:

• The obvious ones to start with are anything connected with Peter Thiel and the Founders' Fund.
• Tesla Motors and SpaceX are projects of Elon Musk. Tesla Motors is making electric cars and SpaceX is chasing private space flight.
• Luke Nosek, who worked on PayPal with Elon Musk, has started a company called Halcyon Molecular and is also connected with Pathway Genomics. The first does gene sequencing, the second offers personal genetics reports.
• Novamente LLC is working on "intelligent virtual agents for virtual worlds, computer games, and simulations." Ben Goertzel leads it.

What am I missing?