All of ashen's Comments + Replies

ashen20

As I understand it, there is a psychological (Mahowald et al.) and philosophical (Shanahan) that machines can't "think" (and do related stuff).

I don't find Mahowald et al. always convincing because it suffers from straw manning LLM's - much of the claims about limitations of LLM's were based on old work which predates GPT-3.5/ChatGPT. Clearly the bulk of the paper was written before ChatGPT launched, and I suspect they didn't want to make substantial changes to it, because it would undermine their arguments. And I find the OP good at taking down a range of... (read more)

ashen32

One consequence of all this is a hit to consensus reality.

As you say, an author can modify a text to communicate based on a particular value function (i.e. "a customized message that would be most effective".)

But the recipient of a message can also modify that message depending on their own (or rather their personalised LLMs) value function.

Generative content and generative interpretation.

Eventually this won't be just text but essentially all media - particularly through use of AR goggles.

Interesting times?!

ashen10

Also to add of interest "Creating a large language model of a philosopher"

http://faculty.ucr.edu/~eschwitz/SchwitzAbs/GPT3Dennett.htm

One interesting quote "Therefore, we conclude that GPT-3 is not simply “plagiarizing” Dennett, and rather is generating conceptually novel (even if stylistically similar) content."

Answer by ashen20

The first question is hardest to answer because their a lot of different ways that an LLM will help in writing a paper. Yes, there will be some people who don't, but over time they will become a minority.

The other questions are easier.

The straightforward answer is that right now, openAI have said that you should acknowledge its use in publication. If you acknowledge a source, then it is not plagiarism. So currently a practice for some journals is you have an author contribution list, where you list the different parts of an article and which author contrib... (read more)

ashen10

One recent advancement in science writing (stemming from psychology through spreading) has been the pre-registered format and pre-registration.

Pre-registration often takes the form of a form - which effectively is a dialogue - where you have to answer a set of questions about your design. This forces a kind of thinking that otherwise might not happen before you run a study, which has positive outcomes in the clarity and openness of the thought processes that go into designing a study.

One consequence it can highlight that often we very unclear about how we ... (read more)

ashen20

Some interesting ideas - a few comments:

My sense you are writing this as someone without lots of experience in writing and publishing scientific articles (correct me if I am wrong).

A question to me is whether you can predict what someone would say on a topic instead of writing about it. I would argue that the act of linearly presenting ideas on paper - "writing" - is a form of extended creative cognitive creation that is difficult to replicate. It woudn't be replicated by a avatar just talking to a human to understand their views. People don't write to con... (read more)

1derek shiller
Thanks for your comments! You're correct in that I haven't published any scientific articles -- my publication experience is entirely in academic philosophy and my suggestions are based on my frustrations there. This may be a much more reasonable proposal for academic philosophy than other disciplines, since philosophy deals more with conceptually nebulous issues and has fewer objective standards. I agree that writing is a useful exercise for thinking. I'm not so sure that it is difficult to replicate, or that the forms of writing for publication are the best ways of thinking. I think getting feedback on your work is also very important, and something that would be easier, faster, working with an avatar. So part of the process of training an avatar might be sketching an argument in a rough written form and then answering a lot of questions about it. That isn't obviously a worse way to think through issues than writing linearly for publication. This could probably get a lot of the same advantages. Maybe the ideal is to have people write extremely long papers that LLMs condense for different readers. My thought was that at least as papers are currently written, some important details are generally left out. This means that arguments require some creative interpretation on the part of a serious reader. I've been thinking about these issues in part in connection with how to use LLMs to make progress in philosophy. This seems less clear cut than science, where there are at least processes for verifying which results are correct. You can train AIs to prove mathematical theorems. You might be able to train an AI to design physics experiments and interpret the data from them. Philosophy, in contrast, comes down more to formulating ideas and considerations that people find compelling; it is possible that LLMs could write pretty convincing articles with all manners of conclusions. It is harder to know how to pick out the ones that are correct.
ashen20

Vao highlights Ryan's journey as a prototype loser/sociopath-in-waiting to sociopath ascendency. In the academic world, both Ryan as loser and Ryan as sociopath don't exist. So is one of many ways the corporate america > academic mapping doesn't fit.

Partly because academic signals are hard to fake by pure posers or pure sociopaths.

Though going with your flow, I think the analysis is right in that academics are essentially clueless. But, within academics you can have the subdivisions, clueless-loser, clueless-clueless, clueless-sociopath.

I disagree on so... (read more)

3ChristianKl
In STEM but other fields make it easier. 
ashen50

In the American system its hard to get tenure being a loser, so it selects against losers.

But once tenured, you can easily turn into a loser.

A lot depends on the institution. At high prestige institutions its hard to manage as a loser, and you are going to select for more sociopaths and clueless. Top ranking institutions are going to have more sociopaths.

But at low ranking institutions you are going to find a different distribution - relatively more losers than clueless.

2Virgil Kurkjian
This makes a lot of sense, good comment. Honestly most of my experience is with top programs so it makes sense that I missed this.  Though honestly I think Sociopath faculty are rare, being tenured at a top institution is just not that great for how much work it is. 
ashen10

Also saw this on hacker news today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21660718

one comment "Lighting is a really hard business (especially residential)"

ashen50

In terms of consumer product, I think something like this might be ideal:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ceiling-Dimming-Bathroom-Corridor-6M5252TYQ/dp/B07MCTVH5V/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=lED+ceiling+lamp+office+lamp+with+remote+control%2C+28W+2800lm+3000k-6000K+dimmable+LED+circuit+board+ceiling+light%2C+splashproof%2C+round+bedroom+light%2C+for&qid=1574930392&sr=8-2-fkmr0

But more like 300W instead of 28W. So taking the enclosure and remote control of the bathroom type light, with the LED setup of a floodlight. As for CRI, I guess it would be bad. How i

... (read more)
1ashen
Also saw this on hacker news today: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21660718 one comment "Lighting is a really hard business (especially residential)"
ashen50

The best solution I could find was LED security flood lights, e.g.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/CampHiking®-FloodLight-Landscape-Spotlight-Waterproof/dp/B07JMQXXMW/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=500w+led+flood+lights+security&qid=1574927272&s=lighting&sr=1-9

So this would be less than 100 dollars for approx 40000 lumen, with all in one enclosure including head sink, can be wired to mains or wall socket. Also with this design they can be angled.

Not adjustable in brightness or colour temperature, but my preference would be overhead lighting for day, and then inca

... (read more)
5ashen
In terms of consumer product, I think something like this might be ideal: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ceiling-Dimming-Bathroom-Corridor-6M5252TYQ/dp/B07MCTVH5V/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=lED+ceiling+lamp+office+lamp+with+remote+control%2C+28W+2800lm+3000k-6000K+dimmable+LED+circuit+board+ceiling+light%2C+splashproof%2C+round+bedroom+light%2C+for&qid=1574930392&sr=8-2-fkmr0 But more like 300W instead of 28W. So taking the enclosure and remote control of the bathroom type light, with the LED setup of a floodlight. As for CRI, I guess it would be bad. How important is CRI though? Does this relate to subjective sense of "harshness"? I also found this: https://nofilmschool.com/diy-light-panel-busted-lcd-tv Stresses importance of size, diffusion pads and fresnel lens for creating a soft, diffuse light. Was thinking a good DIY project would be to take a LED floodlight and wire in behind a busted 50" display as a side panel (artificial window). So the ideal consumer product might need to have a pretty wide surface area and fresnel lens which would drive up costs.
ashen21

Your argument against the idea that your belief that are 5 muscles of movement is a fake framework is a statement that that there are 5 muscles of movement. I don't find this convincing.

I mentioned there the psoas because of claims from some e.g. https://www.drnorthrup.com/psoas-muscle-vital-muscle-body/ :

The psoas muscle (pronounced SO-as) may be the most important muscle in your body. Without this essential muscle group you wouldn’t even be able to get out of the bed in the morning!

In fact, whether you run, bike, dance, practice yoga, or just hang out

... (read more)
1leggi
Thank you for thinking about this framework and these muscles. Bit by bit see how it feels. I'm too excited to get on with other things so a longer answer: The psoas.... Primary connectors? A big statement, and I'd say no. A connection - yes, but looking at the anatomy (position/attachments/influence) of the psoas, versus a combination of 3 of the main muscles for movement: rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus. What seems a 'better' system to move?, What muscles are capable of stabilising and connecting the leg (from pelvis to shin) and torso (from pelvis to thorax) through a full range of movement? Edited to add anatomy from Gray's:  The Psoas major (Psoas magnus) is a long fusiform muscle placed on the side of the lumbar region of the vertebral column and brim of the lesser pelvis. It arises from the anterior surfaces of the bases and lower borders of the transverse processes of all the lumbar vertebræ from the sides of the bodies and the corresponding intervertebral fibrocartilages of the last thoracic and all the lumbar vertebræ by five slips, each of which is attached to the adjacent upper and lower margins of two vertebræ, and to the intervertebral fibrocartilage; from a series of tendinous arches which extend across the constricted parts of the bodies of the lumbar vertebræ between the previous slips; the lumbar arteries and veins, and filaments from the sympathetic trunk pass beneath these tendinous arches. The muscle proceeds downward across the brim of the lesser pelvis, and diminishing gradually in size, passes beneath the inguinal ligament and in front of the capsule of the hip-joint and ends in a tendon; the tendon receives nearly the whole of the fibers of the Iliacus and is inserted into the lesser trochanter of the femur. Structurally, does a muscle that attaches to the lumbar spine and the femur seem a good idea as the primary connection between torso and legs? True. But 'secondary'. The psoas isn't meant to "take the strain" and
1leggi
Thank you! With all the karma I can bestow. I know how it sounds. But I know I am right. I am but one let the ripples begin. This is a rushed reply in a few minutes, I will answer in more detail when I can but I am on LW because hope for an audience that would: * Question me, to help me develop my thoughts and explanations.... * Be curious enough to think about these 5 muscles. Look at the anatomy. Find the muscles on your body. Starting from Base-Line Try it. Feel it. Give it time. pelvic floor Base. rectus abdominis Line - section by section. rectus femoris shin to hip. gluteus maximus solid and strong. trapezius wide and free. That sums it up. Focus on these muscles and improve the physical state of the body.
ashen20

Just to add more to my original comment and to your reply.

I was wondering to what extent this related to other somatic therapies, such as alexander technique, Feldenkrais etc.. e.g. https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/somatics-yogas-west

So there are lots of people who are not only willing to think about these kinds of things, but they base entire careers from this.

Parts of it also reminded me of Eric Goodman's "foundation training", such as breathing to decompress the torso - very much breathing as "longer and stronger".

In Lesswrong parlance, my impressio

... (read more)
1leggi
I'm going to say no. This is not a fake framework. The '5 main muscles of movement' ARE the central muscular framework of the body. The muscles that, when free to fully function, allow a full range of natural movement and dynamic alignment of the body. The muscles are paired - left and right sides - so technically that's 10 muscles - but 5 is the correct nomenclature, and sounds less daunting to anyone who doesn't know much anatomy. The only fake framework is considering the pelvic floor muscles as one unit (of two halves). The anatomy of the pelvic floor is complicated, and the details unimportant to using these muscles so I'm happy to consider them as one muscle functionally. I haven't come across/paid much attention to the term 'somatic therapy' before but it was interesting to see Pilates at the bottom of the list. I began this journey with Pilates classes and my hypothesis developed from my experiences and observations of trying to do Pilates exercises. I believe Joseph Pilates figured out how to use his body correctly but didn't realise the underlying anatomy - the 5 main muscles to focus on. Looking at his original work return to life and what he called contrology (I can't pronounce that out loud!), 'the hundred' is the introductory exercise - there was no way could I have done that when I started - I couldn't even lift a leg of the ground without using my arms to pull it up. I discovered the Base-Line muscles (pelvic floor, rectus abdominis) are the primary muscles to focus on to improve the usage of the body and also to develop our conscious proprioceptive skills so we can feel the condition and relative position of the body for ourselves. I haven't come across others mentioning the importance of the linea alba either. I am presenting a new perspective on the alignment of the body, grounded in the anatomy I hope! - it is. The linea alba is important because: * It part of our midline anatomy and the relative positioning of the midline anatomy is w
1leggi
Your comment invoked a whirlwind of emotion! From excitement and a "yay does someone else get it?" to my ego thinking "oh-no someone else has already figured this out" (and certain sense of relief when I read the article if I'm being totally honest). The concept of body alignment and balance being a good thing is far from new (to be discussed a bit in further posts I'm working on). I have spent the last couple of years searching to see if my perspective on the 'anatomy of alignment' is already out there but I've not found it, which still surprises me because a) using the midline anatomy and the median plane as guides seems so obvious to me now and b) movement feels natural and 'right' now that I have learned to use my 'main muscles of movement'. Everything else falls into place. I search for others who are willing to think about the state of activation and balance of these 5 main muscles .... to work on the connection between body and mind .... to start to feel what I mean.
ashen170

a) Imagine a different post on LessWrong:

“Guys, let me share something with you I am really excited about. I have been studying the bible pretty hard, including reading several translations of the original Hebrew in my quest to master the Core Teachings of Jesus, and putting these teachings into practice (and I have reached Nebula Level 4.2, so know what I am talking about). Based on my experiences, and extensive discussions with a variety of my priests, I have figured out the core practice that Lord Jesus taught, and I am going to break it down for you in

... (read more)
4romeostevensit
a better word than random might have been arbitrary. i.e. predicated on causes and conditions that have little to do with the heuristics you endorse. Appreciate the feedback and the links!
8ChristianKl
I don't think Buddhisms hipness is the main point. Posts about the Jewish concept of the Sabbath have been well-received on LessWrong. I don't know very much about Christianity but I see no reason why someone shouldn't be able to write an insightful post on core Christian concepts.
moses130

Is Buddhism just hip right now?

I think it's just that rationalists are not skeptics; we don't automatically dismiss things because they sound "woo". If Lord Jesus came up with a helpful mental technique, I'm all ears.

ashen70

And yet, Batchelor has written several books on "what the Buddha really taught" and the true meaning of Buddhism.

ashen120

People like to have a claim on "what the Buddha really taught", e.g. in this post "Though the Buddha taught one specific concentration technique..."

But we don't really know what the Buddha taught. We have scriptures from an oral tradition, compiled by many people centuries after the death of this figure, a figure for which we have very little historical evidence for, that probably did exist, but we don't really know when. He is a ghost.

Therefore, it seems a safer option not to state what "The Buddha" taught or what "Buddhism" (singular) is really about at its core.

I like the way that Stephen Batchelor put it:

In the parable of the raft, the Buddha describes “a man in the course of a journey” who arrives at a body of water that he has to cross. Since there are no boats or bridges available, his only option is to assemble a raft out of the “grass, twigs, branches, leaves” and whatever other materials are to hand. Having bound them together, and “making an effort with his hands and feet” he manages to get across to the opposite shore. Despite its evident usefulness, he realises that there is no point in carrying the r

... (read more)
ashen10

Would suggest using n = 1 methodologies. For example, switch between meditating every day for one week, then a week of not meditating. See: http://media.sethroberts.net/blog/pdf/2012-09-24-The-Growth-of-Personal-Science-Implications-For-Statistics.pdf

1justinpombrio
Oh, yes, in retrospect that's exactly how you should measure this! However, I think taking full weeks off of meditation would jeopardize my chances of seeing benefits, and I'm not willing to do that. But I will alternate doing tests before and after meditating, as a smaller weaker version of the same idea.
ashen10

These did the rounds a few years ago, some links here and here.

This title sums up my initial impression of reading the guide: " The CIA’s WWII Guide to Creating Organizational Dysfunction Perfectly Describes Your Toxic Workplace".