Ratatouille and burning stars
Look at the little rat
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I.
I published two LessWrong posts since last time:
Privacy and writing (6 min read), about how making your thoughts public (as I’m doing now in this email feed) has some negative effects.
Consequentialism is a compass, not a judge (2 min read), in which I argue that the moral framework of consequentialism (measure whether an action is good or bad by its consequences alone) cannot judge people’s past goodness, but can only direct future actions.
That’s the post I’d recommend. Plus it’s extremely short.
My translation of Nick Bostrom’s post Astronomical Waste is still not up! They told me “thank you for your patience” and then… didn’t do it. But in the meantime—since I know you’re all waiting in hushed anticipation—here’s a fancily-edited picture of Remi from Ratatouille with the translation in his hands:
One day, by the light of a giant ball of gas wasting 4.2 million tons of matter per second, Parisians will read Gâchis Astronomique while sipping their coffee and chewing their croissants in a Montmartre café. It almost brings a tear to my eye.
In other news, the AI course I’m taking has been going great. I have homework already: several papers on AI governance policy to read before Wednesday, and a lecture on machine learning. Course is here if someone is curious (it’s all online and free).
II.
Keep your identity small! This has been one of the most valuable essays I’ve read ever. It’s also why I don’t identify as “not a math person” despite, you know… not being a math person.
The lesson is to identify with as little things as possible. This will allow you more freedom of movement in what you believe; you’ll change your mind more often. It’ll also reduce the amount of things that trigger you. If you identify as someone who despises pineapple pizza, you’re more likely to get arrested for stabbing someone who puts pineapples on pizza. Identifying as something and then having your identity challenged is a recipe for obsession, resentment, and violence. Just look at what happens when people identify with their skin color!
Am I saying be a boring slate of paper without any defining characteristics? Yes. Yes, I am. Personally, I care deeply about all of you; I also have it on good authority that AI is likely to kill you unless someone does something about it. When I sit down and ponder what my values are, I notice that “you guys staying alive” ranks a lot higher than “I have an identity yahoo”. So if having a small identity is a useful tool for increasing your odds of survival—I’ll take it. I can afford to be a blank piece of paper that changes interests every so often to reflect the most important thing, if you’re more likely to live as a consequence. I’m not even sure how inherently interesting I find AI. I just dive in because there’s nothing more important. I'm apparently garnering a reputation as the "AI guy", but trust me, there are things I'd prefer doing.
I'm squishing my identity into bits and making it moldable for instrumental reasons. Up to you to do as you wish, though. But from time to time, consider white supremacists or sports fans and wonder "is there something I attach strongly to my identity, which might be as stupid as skin color or football team?" You might be making your life worse by having a strong identity. Select what you identify as wisely.
Oh yeah right and also you can just do things, it’s insane
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Do I have the right to use a ratatouille image? No. Can I afford to hire a lawyer? No. AM I SENDING THE LITTLE RAT ANYWAY? Yes, yes I am.]