In response to Weekly LW Meetups
Comment author: Nic_Smith 21 August 2013 04:04:50AM 0 points [-]

Chicago will have more Thinking, Fast and Slow meetups on the 24th, Sept 7, and Sept 21.

Comment author: Baughn 03 August 2013 10:52:39AM 3 points [-]

At least half the music from the Ar Tonelico series, especially the hymns. Given that music plays a large role in the games, this is perhaps to be expected.

Just for an example, try EXEC_PURGER.

Comment author: Nic_Smith 05 August 2013 12:26:46AM *  0 points [-]

Strongly agree, especially for "Flip" songs of the third game -- "EXEC_FLIP_ARPHAGE./" "EXEC_COSMOFLIPS/." and "EXEC_FLIP_FUSIONSPHERE/." The startup for my desktop is a small bit of EXEC_CHRONICLE_KEY/. For the most part, they are superbly dramatic.

Meetup : Chicago: Discuss Thinking, Fast and Slow

0 Nic_Smith 25 July 2013 03:03AM

Discussion article for the meetup : Chicago: Discuss Thinking, Fast and Slow

WHEN: 03 August 2013 03:00:00PM (-0500)

WHERE: Corner Bakery, 360 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL

We'll be discussing the beginning of Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow as part of a series of meetups for this book.

Discussion article for the meetup : Chicago: Discuss Thinking, Fast and Slow

Comment author: ygert 03 June 2013 09:16:57PM 5 points [-]

So, Puella Magi Madoka Magica. I watched the first three episodes, and now want advice from those who have watched it to completion before I watch any more. Potential spoilers ahead for the first three episodes.

Fb sne, vg unf orra zbqrengryl tbbq. Abg gur nznmvat gung jnf cebzvfrq va cnfg zrqvn guernqf, ohg V npxabjyrqtr gung gung fbeg bs guvat jvyy bsgra gnxr n srj rcvfbqrf gb ernyyl trg fgnegrq.

Ohg bar guvat vf ernyyl tengvat ba zl areirf. Gur punenpgref' furre... fghcvqvgl jvgu ertneqf gb guvf jvfu guvat. Ybbx, V xabj gung znxvat n tbbq jvfu pna or uneq. Vg vf n tbbq guvat gb guvax guebhtu gur bcgvbaf naq pbafrdhraprf pnershyyl orsber znxvat n jvfu. Gurer vf ab funzr va qrsreevat znxvat n jvfu sebz gur srne gung lbh unir abg pbzr hc jvgu n tbbq bar lrg, pbzvat hc jvgu n tbbq jvfu vf uneq. V rira qba'g rkcrpg nyy punenpgre'f gb tb nyy UCWRI naq hfr gurve jvfu gb znkvznyyl bcgvzvmr gur havirefr.

Ohg gb abg rira or noyr gb guvax bs bar fvatyr cbgragvny jvfu gb znxr!? V yvgrenyyl pnaabg vzntvar jung pbhyq or tbvat guebhtu gur urnq bs fbzrbar jub guvaxf gung. Gb guvax gung gur jbeyq nf vg vf abj vf gur orfg bs nyy cbffvoyr jbeyqf lbh pna vzntvar... Gung arrqf n fcrpvny glcr bs fghcvqvgl.

BX, svar. V nz trggvat gbb uhat hc bire fbzrguvat abg jbegu trggvat uhat hc ba. Ohg rirel gvzr V jngu na rcvfbqr guvf tengrf ba zl areirf yvxr n svyr ehaavat bire zl enj areir raqvatf. Vg vf npghnyyl zragnyyl cnvashy sbe zr gb jngpu gung.

Vg'f cebonoyl whfg zr jub unf guvf cnegvphyne unathc, naq lbh nyy cebonoyl guvax V nz orvat fvyyl. Jryy, znlor guvf whfg uvg n fber cbvag sbe zr be fbzrguvat. Ohg vs V nz gb pbagvahr jngpuvat guvf (juvpu V jbhyq yvxr gb nf vg jnf uvtuyl erpbzzraqrq va cnfg zrqvn guernqf), gura V jbhyq yvxr fbzrbar jub unf jngpurq vg nyernql gb pbasvez bar bs gurfr guvatf:

Rvgure 1) Fur hfrf gur jvfu nyernql, naq trgf vg bire jvgu. Znlor gb oevat Znzv onpx gb yvsr be fbzrguvat, gung jbhyq or n ernfbanoyr (vs abg irel perngvir) jvfu. Ohg gung vf hayvxryl nf fur vf boivbhfyl gur Bov-Jna svther, naq fb, sbe cybg ernfbaf, zhfg erznva qrnq.

Be 2) Gur cerivbhfyl nyyhqrq gb nznmvatarff fgnegf, naq fbba. Vs vg vf nf nznmvat nf crbcyr unir orra fnlvat, gura V thrff gung pbhyq chfu guvf fber cbvag gb gur fvqr.

Naljnl, cyrnfr ernffher zr va guvf ertneq. V jbhyqa'g jnag gb zvff bhg ba na nznmvat navzr orpnhfr bs bar fghcvq ovg, ohg ba gur bgure unaq, vg'f ernyyl, ernyyl naablvat. Lrnu, gur jubyr guvat fbhaqf fvyyl jura V jevgr vg qbja, ohg gunax lbh sbe gnxvat lbhe gvzr naljnl gb nqivfr zr ba guvf. Vg vf zhpu nccerpvngrq.

Comment author: Nic_Smith 04 June 2013 04:35:26AM 3 points [-]

A Hansonian might say that Madoka Magica is not about Madoka!

Three eps in is not really much; give it a bit more time.

Comment author: edanm 24 May 2013 11:17:42PM 20 points [-]

I've started watching TV Shows at 2X speed. This has been incredible:

  • I can watch twice as much TV in the same amount of time.
  • Lots of TV shows which are very interesting, but are slow (e.g. Breaking Bad, Sopranos) become MUCH funner to watch.

I started doing this a few months ago. It started when I realized that I already listened to Audiobooks at 2X-3X, and that TV Shows are basically the same thing.

Some tips:

  • You should use the VLC player, which lets you 2X while preserving proper audio.
  • In VLC, you can hit the "+" button to go to 1.5X, then again to go to 2X, 3X, 4X etc.
  • You can start with watching things at 1.5X speed, then go to 2X when you feel confident.
  • At higher speeds, you should watch with subtitles, which makes things much easier to follow.
Comment author: Nic_Smith 25 May 2013 03:43:41AM 5 points [-]

I've personally found playing anime at 1.1x to be a difference which is barely even noticeable, but further speed increases to be somewhat annoying, and 1.5x+ to be unwatchable. It's likely low-hanging fruit for many, but YMMV.

Meetup : Fermi Estimates in Chicago

1 Nic_Smith 21 May 2013 01:47PM

Discussion article for the meetup : Fermi Estimates in Chicago

WHEN: 25 May 2013 03:00:59PM (-0500)

WHERE: 1 S Franklin, Chicago, IL

We'll be meeting at Argo Tea to discuss and practice Fermi estimates. When should they be used, and what considerations go into them? How many piano tuners ARE in Chicago?

Discussion article for the meetup : Fermi Estimates in Chicago

Comment author: ArisKatsaris 01 May 2013 11:10:29AM *  1 point [-]

Other Media Thread

Comment author: Nic_Smith 02 May 2013 01:51:20AM 2 points [-]

Magical Diary -- it has puzzles, although they're only a small part of the game. Ellen reminded me of Less Wrong fairly quickly; I later found out that TV Tropes lists her subplot as a shout-out to Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality.

Comment author: andreas 02 February 2013 05:42:44AM *  38 points [-]

"I design a cell to not fail and then assume it will and then ask the next 'what-if' questions," Sinnett said. "And then I design the batteries that if there is a failure of one cell it won't propagate to another. And then I assume that I am wrong and that it will propagate to another and then I design the enclosure and the redundancy of the equipment to assume that all the cells are involved and the airplane needs to be able to play through that."

Mike Sinnett, Boeing's 787 chief project engineer

Comment author: Nic_Smith 05 February 2013 02:47:59AM 4 points [-]

Isn't the point of the article that Boeing may not have actually done at least the first two steps (design cell not to fail, prevent failure of a cell from causing battery problems)?

I am confused.

In response to comment by [deleted] on Rationality Quotes February 2013
Comment author: CellBioGuy 02 February 2013 01:25:32AM 10 points [-]

No, they selected them to sell more copies by highjacking the easier-to-press buttons of your nervous system.

Comment author: Nic_Smith 02 February 2013 02:38:51AM *  3 points [-]

There's something to that, but it's not as if Varian's Microeconomic Analysis is going to have the cover of Spice and Wolf 1.

Comment author: Nic_Smith 23 January 2013 03:05:36AM *  2 points [-]

A small correction: The Society for Venturism has been around for quite a while, although I have a vague impression they've been more active in the last year than in the past. I had a look at their site to see when they were founded (1986), and noticed they're currently raising funds for someone else, Aaron Winborn.

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