Kawoomba comments on A discussion of heroic responsibility - LessWrong

39 Post author: Swimmer963 29 October 2014 04:22AM

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Comment author: Kawoomba 29 October 2014 07:23:00AM 4 points [-]

This is a tangent, but to light up the whole environment just to get a few more photons to the retina is a strange approach, even if it seems to be the go-to treatment (light boxes etc.). Why not just light up the retina with a portable device, say glasses with some LED lights tacked on. That way you can take your enlightenment with you! Could be polarised to reflect indirectly off of the glasses into your eye, with little stray radiation.

Not saying that you should McGyver that yourself, but I was surprised that such a solution did not seem to exist.

But, it's hard to have a truly original thought, so when I googled it I found this. Seems like a good idea, no? Same principle as your artificial sky, if one would work, so should the other.

Also, as an aside to the tangent, tangent is a strange phrase, since it doesn't actually touch the main point. Should be polar line or somesuch.

Comment author: SilentCal 29 October 2014 06:47:40PM 4 points [-]

I think the idea of a tangent is that it touches the discussion at one point and then diverges.

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 29 October 2014 06:11:19PM *  3 points [-]

Considered the light glasses earlier, but Brienne did not expect to like them, we need morning light, and they also looked too weaksauce for serious SAD.

Comment author: Rain 29 October 2014 12:37:30PM 3 points [-]

Skin reacts to light, too.

Comment author: Lumifer 29 October 2014 04:01:38PM 0 points [-]

In the visible part of the spectrum (that is, not UV)?

Comment author: undermind 30 October 2014 04:48:39AM 2 points [-]

Also, as an aside to the tangent, tangent is a strange phrase, since it doesn't actually touch the main point. Should be polar line or somesuch.

"Tangent" is perfectly appropriate -- it touches a point somewhere on the curve of the main argument, and then diverges. There is something that made the association with the tangent.

And, to further overextend this metaphor, this implies that if someone's argument is rough enough (i.e. not differentiable), then it's not even possible to go off it on a tangent.