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Comment by telomerase on Politics: an undervalued opportunity to change the world? · 2015-08-14T20:08:44.142Z · LW · GW

There are few places, and certainly not the US, where too little of society's resources are consumed by politics.

But therefore, in the US at least, action to remove parts of society from politics can be very effective altruism. E.g., the citizen watchdog group NHLA in New Hampshire that targets corporate welfare and other parasitic programs (e.g. the Drug War). They spend very little money (about 40K per year), but have an outsize effect on policy.

nhliberty.org

Comment by telomerase on Meetup : Less Wrong NH Meet-up · 2015-08-10T19:19:01.613Z · LW · GW

Less Wrong comes to ManchVegas... I'll have to make one of these when I'm rich and famous.

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-09T23:55:27.230Z · LW · GW

Yeah, that makes sense... I certainly know people that have spent a LOT of effort maintaining their randomly chosen viewpoint. Goes back to meme theory, memes are selected for ability to stick in the mind and remove other memes.

(I've never taken Modafinil, just thinking that there might be some chemical help for hunter-gatherer laziness).

Comment by telomerase on Scientific studies and trust · 2015-08-08T23:24:02.008Z · LW · GW

...and then on to any specific field which has political uses, where "publication bias" can reach Lysenko levels ;)

So just never studfy psychology and you won't go crazy. It all works out...

Comment by telomerase on Tell me what hat to buy · 2015-08-08T23:03:32.357Z · LW · GW

Buy this one for urban environments... it shows that you're not afraid of anything:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/f108/?itm=126623447805custom0t-shirts_%26_apparel%26custom1hats_scarves_belts_%26_more%26id0f108&rkgid=1844237170&cpg=ogpla&source=google_pla&adpos=1o2&creative=50718226725&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KEQjw0ZauBRDOnoGQ2PTb9YoBEiQAQ6m_7BzWFvSEFsXhhP8kj260lo2WR3bEuAtlyd0MpIUIfYAaAlXP8P8HAQ

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-08T23:01:39.889Z · LW · GW

Hmmm... so if akrasia/laziness is the only problem, then Modafinil solves everything?

In all seriousness and gullibility, I would expect that even a minor effort into rationality would have a large financial effect, even if you only exert it for five minutes a year when you're programming your IRA/40 whatever.

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-08T22:59:09.081Z · LW · GW

Ah, an Amerind AND a billionaire! So you must be... no one on this timeline ;)

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-08T22:57:17.715Z · LW · GW

Ah, I didn't know that. I'm telomere-challenged myself (Unless astragalosides actually work, in which case I now have some other problem).

Hurry up and billionairize yourselves.... and stop believing your elders, you morons.

Comment by telomerase on How to win the World Food Prize · 2015-08-07T16:44:54.767Z · LW · GW

There is an Indian mosquito species whose larva eat other mosquito larva. Developing more variants (e.g. cold hardy) of that species could suppress other mosquitoes to a degree.

Comment by telomerase on How to win the World Food Prize · 2015-08-07T16:43:20.876Z · LW · GW

Excellent idea! And it's probably true... at least some insect that looks similar must be bad for lions....

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-07T16:35:52.886Z · LW · GW

Octopodes use hemocyanin... use CRISPR to take that out, lenti vector to replace with hemoglobin, and you've got a super-octopus.

Now just apply MIRI's magic formula for making friendly superintelligence, and you've got your tame octopus. Great basis for a TV show in the genre of "Lassie", "Flipper", or "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo".

"Good on ya', Cthulipper!"

Octopuses have poisonous bites, of course.... some would see that as a bad quality in a pet.

Comment by telomerase on Stupid Questions August 2015 · 2015-08-07T16:30:25.293Z · LW · GW

If we're so rational why aren't we rich?

Comment by telomerase on We really need a "cryonics sales pitch" article. · 2015-08-07T16:14:18.033Z · LW · GW

"Many Are Cold But Few Are Frozen"

;)

Comment by telomerase on [deleted post] 2015-08-07T16:13:26.284Z
  1. If we're so rational why aren't we rich?

  2. Talk to me not of "effective altruism" unless you're independently wealthy ;)

  3. If you must talk of altruism, then do something actually altruistic (e.g. cut taxes on the poor, creating FDA-regulation opt-outs for the terminally ill, etc.).