Comment author: Eitan_Zohar 12 July 2015 03:54:47AM *  0 points [-]

How would I contact a version of me in another branch? It isn't me at all anymore. You can receive and experience permanent brain damage, so why would a death experience be any different? And what about sleep? If this was true it seems like you wouldn't be able to let go of any of your mental faculties at all.

Comment author: Halfwitz 12 July 2015 03:59:50AM *  0 points [-]

It isn't me at all anymore.

There will be a "thread" of subjective experience that identifies with the state of you now no matter what insult or degeneration you experience. I assumed you were pro-teleporter. If you're not why are you even worried about dust theory?

Comment author: Eitan_Zohar 12 July 2015 03:20:20AM 0 points [-]
Comment author: Halfwitz 12 July 2015 03:27:53AM *  0 points [-]

That doesn't seem very air tight. There is still a world where a "you" survives or avoids all forms of degradation. It doesn't matter if it's non-binary. There are worlds were you never crossed the street without looking and very, very, very, very improbable worlds where you heal progressively. It's probably not pleasant but it is immortality.

Comment author: Halfwitz 12 July 2015 03:18:58AM 0 points [-]

Do you have a link to Max Tegmark's rebuttal? What I've read so far seemed like a confused dodge.

Comment author: Halfwitz 27 May 2015 02:28:14AM *  2 points [-]

If you're interested in robotics, this video is a must see: https://youtu.be/EtMyH_--vnU?t=32m34s

I have to say I'm baffled. I was genuinely shocked watching the thing. Its speed is incredible. I remember writing off general robots after closely following Willow Robotics' Work. That was only three years ago. Again, I'm pretty shocked.

Comment author: Halfwitz 25 May 2015 01:47:30AM *  3 points [-]

This forum doesn't allow you to comment if you have <2 karma. How does one get their first 2 karma then?

Comment author: shminux 18 May 2015 01:44:22AM *  11 points [-]

What changes would LW require to make itself attractive again to the major contributors who left and now have their own blogs?

Comment author: Halfwitz 18 May 2015 02:10:54AM *  -2 points [-]

I doubt there's much to be done. I wouldn't be surprised if MIRI shut down LessWrong soon. It's something of a status drain because of the whole Roko thing and no one seems to use it anymore. Even the open threads seem to be losing steam.

We still get most of the former value from the SlateStarCodex, Gwern.net, and the tumblr scene. Even for rationality, I'm not sure LessWrong is needed now that we have CFAR.

Comment author: RowanE 12 January 2015 02:53:34PM 6 points [-]

In the vein of asking personal questions of Less Wrong, I need career advice. Or advice on finding useful career advice.

I'm an undergraduate student, my course is "Mathematics & Theoretical Physics", BSc, but I'm already convinced I don't want to try to be a career scientist. Long-term, my career goals are to retire early (I've felt comfortable enough on what I live on as a student that the MrMoneyMustache approach seems eminently doable), with the actual terminal values involved being enjoyment and lack of stress, so becoming a quant also seems like a bad choice what with having to get a PhD first. Teaching just sounds horrible to me.

What this leaves me with is the much broader range of careers that are either mathematical or sciencey enough that I could use the degree for them, or the jobs and graduate programs that just ask for a degree and don't care what kind. I have too many choices, every particular one I look at seems okay but not great, I have no idea how to even begin narrowing them down or ordering them.

Comment author: Halfwitz 12 January 2015 04:16:12PM *  6 points [-]

If you’re looking for a useful major, Computer science is the obvious choice. I also think statistics majors are undersupplied, though only anecdotal data there. I know a few stats majors (none overly clever) that have done far more with the degree than I would have guessed as an undergraduate. But this could have changed since, markets being anti-inductive. If your goal is effective egotism, you’re probably not in the best major. Probably the best way to go about your goal is to follow the advice of effective altruists and then donate all the money to your future self, via a Vanguard fund. If this sounds too evil, paying a small tithe, 1%, would more than make up for this at a managable cost.

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 01 January 2015 12:51:12AM 1 point [-]

Music Thread

Comment author: Halfwitz 06 January 2015 08:50:45PM *  0 points [-]

After reading a biography of Hugh Everett, I checked out his son's music and was pleasntly surprised. I especially liked this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYvj7oeIMCc

Comment author: ShardPhoenix 02 December 2014 07:56:08AM *  4 points [-]

Shirobako, ongoing series. It's an anime about an animation company. Seems pretty realistic apart from some comically exaggerated characters. It's not going to blow anyone's mind but if you're into anime as a medium it's an interesting and entertaining look at how it's made.

Comment author: Halfwitz 12 December 2014 03:48:41AM *  0 points [-]

Good rec. And not just for the education - the whole show is very charming, though I agree nothing too special.

Comment author: diegocaleiro 09 December 2014 07:24:01AM *  1 point [-]

Let's name it:

Hidden Agency Solution

Caleiro Agency Conjecture

Principal agent blind spot

Cal-agency

Stochastic principal agency solution.

(wow, this naming thing is hard and awfully awkward, whether I'm optimizing for mnemonics or for fame - is there any other thing to optimize for here?)

Comment author: Halfwitz 10 December 2014 01:10:25AM 1 point [-]

Fuzzy metrics?

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