Confirmed, for some reason that map is pointing at another Shakespeare's Head. This one is at: http://goo.gl/maps/CptJw

Also, I just noticed that the time zone is set to GMT-7.

Arrow on map not pointing to Holborn, suggest checking.

We have a mental model of the world that we call our beliefs. This world does not always reflect reality very well as our perceptions distort the information coming from our senses

I recommend that the second sentence should start with "This model"-- it's much clearer than way rather than using "world" with two different meanings.

I haven't read the whole thing yet, but do you cover limitations of the senses as well as distortions?

I, on the other hand, like the "telegraphic" writing style of the post (for all that I might recommend various tweaks here and there), and am happy to see this material in this form. (Just to list one advantage of such a style, it tends to produce texts with a high degree of "skimmability").

Lately I've been inclining toward the view that, given human psychological diversity, there really is no such thing as too many different pedagogical texts on a given subject. So rather than encouraging this author to change the style of this post, I would sooner encourage them or (more likely) someone else to write another one if the need is felt.

This post would be of much higher utility if some more time was spent working on the flow of the writing. I'm currently introducing some friends to rationality, but I won't be using this post as it feels clunky and not that engaging, although I think that the bits based on 'the lens that sees its flaws' (diagrams of reality, lens, beliefs and optical illusions sections) are great introductions to the subject.

Perhaps try and write more conversationally, as big parts just feel like quite formal lists of statements. Also, maybe include what's at the top of this post at the top.

What counts as nonspecific mathematical knowledge?

A book I would recommend in a related field is "Conceptual Mathematics: A First Introduction to Categories" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Conceptual-Mathematics-First-Introduction-Categories/dp/052171916X

It starts out assuming mathematical knowledge but nothing specific and progresses rapidly. I found it hugely interesting as a piece of general reading (I didn't have a direct purpose for reading the book other than fun).

One of the tactics I have heard is to pay a friend a certain amount at the start of the night. Each new person or group you start talking to they give you come of the money back. What ever is left you friend gets to keep.

I'm not sure that adding more stress would help overcome social anxiety but if you think it will work then it is probably worth a trial run of $150 of $15 per group you say hi to - that must be done in one night. It it works you can start upping the total number of group you have to talk to but keeping the $150 the same.

I've written a summary of the meetup and the files used below:

https://groups.google.com/group/lesswronglondon/attach/b18dcf2153a9463/achieving-good-goals.pdf?part=4

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/lesswronglondon/FfctMn33gXA/Y5Q6FfLcGAsJ

Hope you find it interesting.

Nice to meet y'all, expect that I'll be there again in future. "Optimize everything in sight" should probably not be a Less Wrong goal, though (have you read Francis Spufford's "Red Plenty"?)