Posts

Open Thread March 31 - April 7 2014 2014-04-01T01:41:24.079Z
Terminology point rationality vs rationalism. 2013-09-08T04:42:53.184Z
Meetup :St.Louis MO: Psycology of memorization, Thiel Fellow James Koppel, and games 2012-11-07T19:26:31.047Z
[link]Mass replication of Psychology articles planed. 2012-04-18T16:13:27.029Z
[Link] Bayesian Overconfidence 2012-02-24T23:54:22.475Z
[Link] H+ article Rationality Training: Call for a Global Approach 2012-02-22T03:21:58.018Z
Startups as a Rationality Test Bed? 2012-01-22T20:50:10.137Z
[link] A attempt to reduce Epistemic Viciousness in the martial arts/ an empirical analysis of WSD training. 2011-12-31T19:50:39.518Z
Rationality Verification Opportunity? 2011-12-15T22:11:04.211Z

Comments

Comment by beoShaffer on The Robbers Cave Experiment · 2015-06-05T13:40:44.876Z · LW · GW

Rot13 Jngpuzra. The main villain is trying to force the world powers to unite to fight his fake alien invasion, and you aren't supposed to find this out until the end.

Comment by beoShaffer on June 2015 Media Thread · 2015-06-04T04:10:08.104Z · LW · GW

Whateley Academy is a superhero shared universe with strong world building, multiple quasi-rasionalist characters, and many characters who are irrational in ways that are sympathetic and believable rather than because they're holding the idiot ball. It is also chock full of witty dialog and big on queer characters, in particular many of the characters (including most of the protagonists) are some mixture of trans in the normal sense, intersex, or undergoing changes to there sexual characteristics as a side effect of their origin. I've gotten the impression that it is pretty similar to both Worm and Tales of the MU but don't know enough about those series to confirm this. -ETA also all the trigger warnings, seriously all of them.

Comment by beoShaffer on Social prerequisites of rationality · 2015-03-27T04:14:16.201Z · LW · GW

I see.

Comment by beoShaffer on Social prerequisites of rationality · 2015-03-25T05:03:55.079Z · LW · GW

What does CEE refer to?

Comment by beoShaffer on Summary and Lessons from "On Combat" · 2015-03-24T23:17:52.471Z · LW · GW

I was referring to factual controversy, not political. While it sounds like the most dubious parts are the ones you skipped/skimmed, a major facet of Grossman's work in general is his ideas about the psychology of killing, and as the above link details these ideas are based on a mixture of pathetically bad evolutionary psychology, and dubious (read probably fraudulent) empirical evidence. Since, your review didn't focus on this aspect I don't want to harp on it too much, at the same time it has a lot of knock on effects e.g. your views on video games and violence are likely to be different if you believe humans are naturally violent than if you believe they need significant training to be psychologically capable of killing.

Comment by beoShaffer on Summary and Lessons from "On Combat" · 2015-03-23T01:29:32.152Z · LW · GW

Most of the criticism don't directly concern the claims you're highlighting, but on combat is actually pretty controversial.

Comment by beoShaffer on Money threshold Trigger Action Patterns · 2015-02-22T16:00:38.581Z · LW · GW

Most finance advice I've seen (and I've spent a good bit of time in the finance blogosphere) starts by saying that you should track what your expenses are for precisely this reason.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Feb. 9 - Feb. 15, 2015 · 2015-02-15T00:28:33.790Z · LW · GW

The Luminosity sequence has some stuff on this, though its been long enough since I read it that I don't remember the details very well. Acceptance and commitment therapy has some really good stuff on dealing with anger/frustration (I recommend the book Get Out of Your Mind and into Your Life). Learning acceptance and commitment for just this problem is probably overkill, on the other hand its pretty useful for life in general.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Feb. 9 - Feb. 15, 2015 · 2015-02-10T03:53:57.908Z · LW · GW

I know that Val from CfAR at least used to run meditation retreats though they weren't aimed specifically at rationalists.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Jan. 19 - Jan. 25, 2015 · 2015-01-23T00:57:44.990Z · LW · GW

I like Complice for having a daily to-do that allows you to track how much time you've spent on each of your items (if you're using its pomodoro timer), and to see which goals you did (and didn't) meet on past days. However, I know the founder through CfAR so I may be biased.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Jan. 19 - Jan. 25, 2015 · 2015-01-22T05:20:06.088Z · LW · GW

Similarly, I've had several non LW friends who have started reading SSC after semi-frequently being linked there by my FB.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Jan. 19 - Jan. 25, 2015 · 2015-01-20T00:23:03.150Z · LW · GW

I use Vienna.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2015 Repository Reruns - Boring Advice Repository · 2015-01-18T17:40:53.809Z · LW · GW

Significant depends on your personal circumstances, but anything more than half a year's income almost certainly qualifies. I've seen good arguments for keeping much than half a years income on hand, but they're controversial and aimed at people following the early retirement community's overall suite of advice, which allows them to make assumptions that don't hold for large chunks of the population.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2015 Repository Reruns - Boring Advice Repository · 2015-01-12T04:06:38.875Z · LW · GW

Having a home equity line of credit is the standard US equivalent.

Comment by beoShaffer on Who are your favorite "hidden rationalists"? · 2015-01-11T15:59:06.968Z · LW · GW

Mr.Money Mustache on finance and positive psychology. Specialties are doing the math of everyday life, and understanding the concept of the hedonic treadmill.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2015 Repository Reruns - Boring Advice Repository · 2015-01-10T16:00:50.704Z · LW · GW

Don't keep significant savings in accounts that don't bear interest for an extended amount of time.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2015 Repository Reruns - Boring Advice Repository · 2015-01-10T15:58:58.731Z · LW · GW

80/20 tax law for your country. Unless your a tax lawyer you aren't going to have the need or ability to learn it in detail, but simple changes can often save several thousand dollars a year. In particular tax deductible savings accounts and charitable giving deductions are your friends.

Comment by beoShaffer on Rationality Quotes January 2015 · 2015-01-04T01:59:06.754Z · LW · GW

Thanks. -ETA I followed both the link and the links to several of Wikipedia's sources, but no further. The stuff I saw all seems to support Rolf's claims about S. L. A Marshall being unreliable and the primary source for most of the claims of the killing is hard side.

Comment by beoShaffer on Rationality Quotes January 2015 · 2015-01-04T00:52:36.259Z · LW · GW

Can you please link what you're quoting from.

Comment by beoShaffer on Overpaying for happiness? · 2015-01-04T00:28:56.004Z · LW · GW

You might be interested in the earlier retirement community, particularly the Mustachian branch. They spend a decent bit of time on the concept of the hedonic treadmill in general, with a particular focus on how it causes people to waste money.

Although Mustachianism is built on the idea of embracing hardship, it becomes so automatic that it is soon the only way you could imagine living. Because of this amazing tendency, it is often easier to live on 25% of a professional income (and save the other 75%) than it is to try to scrape by on 90% and save 10.

-Mr.Money Mustache

Comment by beoShaffer on CFAR in 2014: Continuing to climb out of the startup pit, heading toward a full prototype · 2015-01-01T04:04:49.785Z · LW · GW

Gave $8000

Comment by beoShaffer on CFAR in 2014: Continuing to climb out of the startup pit, heading toward a full prototype · 2014-12-28T16:29:53.220Z · LW · GW

This sounds like a good idea, but I had a look at the website and it is unclear to me exactly how you plan to raise the sanity waterline.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Dec. 22 - Dec. 28, 2014 · 2014-12-27T00:03:30.939Z · LW · GW

Outside view/counterfactual exercise. You have a cause, say global warming, which you think so important that even a small change to its odd of success trumps the direct moral impact of anything else you can do with your life. E.g. you believe that even an extra dollar of funding for alternative energy is more morally important than saving a human life (given that the person has a net 0 carbon footprint). However, you are open to the possibility that there is an even more important cause that trumps yours to a similar level. You also know that there have historically been people that thought their causes were as important as you think yours is and turned out to be horribly wrong, at least from your prospective e.x. the Bolsheviks. How much do you focus on directly contributing to your cause vs contributing to public goods, not defecting in prisoners dilemmas, and other conventional do gooding?

Comment by beoShaffer on CFAR in 2014: Continuing to climb out of the startup pit, heading toward a full prototype · 2014-12-26T22:56:23.010Z · LW · GW

Is it currently better to donate to CfAR or MIRI?

Comment by beoShaffer on Has LessWrong Ever Backfired On You? · 2014-12-16T02:58:20.541Z · LW · GW

Same, though in my case it is likely that that time was mostly funging against other internet timewasters not my worktime.

Comment by beoShaffer on Good things to have learned.... · 2014-12-07T16:46:23.717Z · LW · GW

Many martial arts, as well as several performance arts and sports have well developed break fall techniques that can easily be added to a standard gym class curriculum. Some locations have tried doing so and so a large reduction in fall based injuries. Unfortunately, I don't have those articles on hand, but here is a related one discussing the effectiveness of such techniques. If you are interested in learning them yourself they are pretty much the first thing you will learn in a standard Judo class.

Comment by beoShaffer on Good things to have learned.... · 2014-12-07T05:16:28.961Z · LW · GW

Personal finance, both the investing end as mentioned elsewhere on this thread, and, more importantly, the (not) spending end.
Cooking. Most stuff on the CfAR curriculum. How to fall safely, its easy to learn and greatly reduces the danger of a fairly common type of injury.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2014 Less Wrong Census/Survey · 2014-10-26T13:22:03.284Z · LW · GW

I forgot to ask, does spelling count on the calibration questions? Because there are several were I was less confidient of my spelling than of having the basically right answer.

Comment by beoShaffer on 2014 Less Wrong Census/Survey · 2014-10-26T01:09:36.277Z · LW · GW

Done

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, Oct. 20 - Oct. 26, 2014 · 2014-10-24T02:17:05.606Z · LW · GW

I have found this to be the case. I still find the advice useful, but find myself thinking about how I'm going to retire early before remembering there was another reason I was saving that money.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, September 15-21, 2014 · 2014-09-23T23:44:39.833Z · LW · GW

I'm not sure, basically I hear a lot of vague references to it being good to have such a safe, but can't figure out what if anything it is actually important for.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, September 15-21, 2014 · 2014-09-20T16:42:22.548Z · LW · GW

I just did a tried to do a Fermi calculation on the value of getting a fire-proof, theft resistant document safe, but can't find a good number for the cost of identity theft. Does anyone have one on hand?

Comment by beoShaffer on A Less Mysterious Mindfulness Exercise · 2014-09-12T01:35:01.766Z · LW · GW

I've been doing an auditory variant of this drill for several weeks where my thoughts are being played on a radio.

Comment by beoShaffer on Simulate and Defer To More Rational Selves · 2014-09-10T01:51:59.376Z · LW · GW

May I suggest that you make sure all of your money is in accounts that don't also have their names? You'd be disappointed by how many ~college age people get screwed by this.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, September 8-14, 2014 · 2014-09-09T01:27:06.551Z · LW · GW

Is there still a rewards credit card that autodonates to MIRI or CfAR? I've seen them mentioned, but can't find any sign up links that are still live.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 11-17 August 2014 · 2014-08-18T22:57:17.379Z · LW · GW

See Mr.Money Mustache's 50 Jobs over $50,000 without a degree and SSC's Floor Employment for a number of suggestions.

Comment by beoShaffer on Calling all MIRI supporters for unique May 6 giving opportunity! · 2014-05-05T04:57:32.793Z · LW · GW

The timezone conversion links aren't set up right. For most of them the first two characters lead to a different pare than the other characters.

Comment by beoShaffer on Request for concrete AI takeover mechanisms · 2014-04-28T04:34:18.865Z · LW · GW

An AI could spoof electronic communications, and fake/alter orders from various important humans.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 21-27 April 2014 · 2014-04-28T01:07:04.530Z · LW · GW

I was able to get it installed, but get a message saying "Unfortunately, LifeTracking has stopped" whenever I try to go past the first page.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 21-27 April 2014 · 2014-04-28T00:20:08.780Z · LW · GW

That seems to have worked.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 21-27 April 2014 · 2014-04-27T18:49:25.158Z · LW · GW

The marketplace link doesn't work. I tried searching for LifeTracking but only found LifeTrack, are they the same thing?

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 21-27 April 2014 · 2014-04-27T04:20:48.550Z · LW · GW

Does anyone have suggestions for Android self-tracking/quantified-apps? I just got an Android phone an am hoping to begin tracking my diet, exercise ect. as well as various outcomes and try to find correlations.

Comment by beoShaffer on Questions to ask theist philosophers? I will soon be speaking with several · 2014-04-27T03:59:36.354Z · LW · GW

Your comment has quotation marks around it, but no attribution. It it meant to be a quote?

Comment by beoShaffer on Open Thread April 16 - April 22, 2014 · 2014-04-20T02:36:27.528Z · LW · GW

I've seen them and believe the correct descriptor is "ridiculous".

Comment by beoShaffer on Open Thread April 16 - April 22, 2014 · 2014-04-19T17:20:34.935Z · LW · GW

Does anyone have good resources on hypnosis, especially self-hypnosis? I'm mostly looking for how-tos but effectiveness research and theoretical grounding are also welcome.

Comment by beoShaffer on April 2014 Media Thread · 2014-04-02T00:51:46.026Z · LW · GW

The China study link gives me

The URL might be incorrect or have changed. Please go back to the homepage.

Comment by beoShaffer on Open thread, 24-30 March 2014 · 2014-03-26T01:30:58.342Z · LW · GW

Mr.Money Mustache on personal finance.

Comment by beoShaffer on Rationality Quotes March 2014 · 2014-03-02T22:19:57.409Z · LW · GW

The enemy's gate is down.

-Enders Game I thought this had been posted before but I couldn't find it anywhere.

Comment by beoShaffer on [Open Thread] Links (2014-02-14) · 2014-02-17T00:39:33.203Z · LW · GW

It should have been in media, its almost exactly the sort of thing that the media thread is meant for.

Comment by beoShaffer on February 2014 Media Thread · 2014-02-06T21:36:38.007Z · LW · GW

I have recently started reading the blog Mr.Money Mustache. It is about early retirement, but many of the lessons can be applied to earning to give. The blog makes good use of hedonic psychology and some basic rationality techniques (like actually using math).