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Re: cure for dandruff, do you consider this adequate? https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/pRibkeqBa2AxrpgT6/living-in-an-inadequate-world
Reading experience is rather abyssimal. Having just text-on-borderless-white is bad, the font could use some work, any structures for the eye to catch on etc.
Also many of the more interesting eg fun things to do require quite a bit of money. Most forms of travelling, medical interventions, most hobbies like climbing/hiking/boardgames etc. etcetc.
Found it already. chinese instead of marys room yielded http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/09/01/book-review-and-highlights-quantum-computing-since-democritus/
If each page of the rule book corresponded to one neuron of a native speaker’s brain, then probably we’d be talking about a “rule book” at leas the size of the Earth, its pages searchable by a swarm of robots traveling at close to the speed of light. When you put it that way, maybe it’s not so hard to imagine this enormous Chinese-speaking entity that we’ve brought into being might have something we’d be prepared to call understanding or insight.
Huh. Indeed and of course I obviously mean chinese room. Might be enough help, thanks!
I am not sure if I read it here or on SSC, but someone tried to estimate how a "mary's room" equivalent for the human brain would look like. A moon sized library on which robotic crawlers run around at decent fractions of c ...
Anybody having info on that?
Unfortunately I have to retract my above statement, I checked https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/3fri9a/ask_aubrey_de_grey_anything/ .
Q:Does it speed up the development timeline at all? A:Aubrey de Grey, SENS[S]: A lot, yes.
No concrete timeframe, but he also gives estimates:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/3fri9a/ask_aubrey_de_grey_anything/ctr90ru
Seems as if he gives a 50yo has about 50% chance to be around when SENS comes.
Bit late but Aubrey de Grey in his latest reddit AMA estimates that Crispr/CAS9 cuts off about 20 (!) years of the SENS/immortality timeline.
1) Yours is not the first account of being offended I have heard. Unfortunately it makes sense. Everyone thinks of themselves as "being a nice person", even if the only money they give to charity is a dollar a week to the homeless.
Pursuing the much loftier goal of eg. giving 10% attacks this fundamental identity basis; and since there is no argumentative recourse, they can only react on the emotional level. Its an immune response.
I also have a terrible nailbiting problem whose advanced progression comes to a point that it needs a solution. Good to know about the e-cig helping.
Since you didnt receive a lot of feedback, my thoughts:
a) Take your highest ranking EA orgs and ask them if they would benefit from having a car available to them. Donate car to that NGO.
b) Sell car at market value and donate money.
No clue to taxes, not being US-based.
Seems to be mostly Asia getting richer. Hans Rosling gives a very impressive talk with amazing visuals about that here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVimVzgtD6w You can also play with the data for yourself http://www.gapminder.org/world
Within four years, Google hopes to have the autonomous vehicles commercially available and citizens throughout the U.S. regularly riding in them, Urmson said.
Google Inc. threw the auto industry another curve ball Wednesday, saying its autonomous cars should be on public roads within five years without having to drive through a thicket of regulatory red tape.
Both sources are from 2015, the first one from january, second from last week. I think it unlikely (<10%) that they are going to overperfom by more than a single year, and very likely (70%) to take at least a year longer.
Remember, its not only a technological problem, but the inertia in a vast system. Insurance+lawmakers etc need to finish their side as well.
Elon Musk, someone who can reasonably called domain expert on innovative car systems, gives the same range:
The three-year estimate, Musk says, is when he thinks the technology will be ready. It could take longer for government regulations around the issue to go into effect. He acknowledged that it will take time for regulators to say "it's okay to go to sleep in the car" -- maybe another one to three years.
Note that I only looked up Musks opinion after I wrote the first part.
Study existing literature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent_Flyvbjerg this guy got a lot of good press in germany, apparently he has written extensively on big infrastructure projects and cost overruns. I find Megaprojects and Risk: An Anatomy of Ambition
Keep in mind that Amelia herself is a powerful witch, and thus "you are not meant to know" is kinda-sorta expected in those circles, and a most valid excuse for basically anything weird or unexplainable.
Canon!Salazar is a bloodpurist already. He and the other founders of Hogwarts have a big row about it- who should be able to attend Hogwarts? Only the pureblooded! Apparently this is the reason why he built the chamber of secrets in the first place... Awesome theory otherwise.
Bad data. I have not read the original research study whose findings were later likened to those of cocain, and am a bit suspicious how similar they actually are. "study the neurology" instead of "neurochemistry" would be more accurate, I guess.
Well OPs stated goal is to end the strange behaviour they have around their ex, which takes away their agency. While a common problem within humans, it appears to be solved mostly with time- eg it is unsolved. We have some (bad) data available that this is actually very similar to some kinds of addiction. And while certainly addiction is nowhere near 100% curable, (or we would have heard of that by now) my prior for "having found some better than placebo treatments for one of the major drug addiction (cocaine)" is 70-80 percent. So I do give "investigate this line of thinking, speak with experts" at least a high enough investeded-time/chance of success- ratio to be worth considering. That was my thought process for using rational, is the explanation satisfying?
Sorry I failed to make myself clear. To put it simply back: it feels as if you are in pain or intoxicated, because thats exactly what it is, http://www.pnas.org/content/108/15/6270.short for example. Your system 1 is in desperate need to get its fix OR stop the hurting, even if system 2 is fine. The obvious way to combat it and your accompanied loss of agency is to precommit in some way to stop being around them, but also to ignore their wishes in the future. The way this happens for a lot of people is rationalizing undesired qualities to their expartners, having strong peer pressure etc. Because system 1 is so strong on this front, depending on your own stability, it can actually be dangerous to fight it too much with system 2. For the whole system 1 against system 2, mindfulness meditation is useful.
The question "is heartbreak the way humans experience it right now a good thing" is one of the more complex questions about the human condition,yes. My mental modell of all that is kinda like the following:
On an neurochemical level, the way "love" stimulates the reward-centers has been likened to "cocaine".Its an extremely strong conditioning, addiction even. So of course your brain wants to satisfy that condition by all means possible. If we have a look at popular culture, its kinda expected to have extreme reactions to heartbreak: people fall into depression, start rationalizing all kinds of really crazy behaviour (stalking, death threats, lifechanging roadtrips) etc etc.
To avoid all that you have to thoroughly impress on your emotional side that its over: thats why some people do the whole "burn everything that connects me with her", others just overwrite that old emotion with new (irrational)emotions like anger, hold a symbolic funeral, repeat it to youself everyday in a mirror etc.
Unfortunately I am not aware of studies about optimal treatment of heartbreak, but common wisdom is: NO contact at all in the beginning, allow yourself to grieve, find solace with friends/familiy, and somehow redefine your sense of selfesteem- take up painting/coding/comething you have always wanted to do. If one wanted to go the rational route: research neurochemistry, find out wether its really like cocaine-addiction, do whatever helps with cocaine-withdrawal. (or the other most closely related drug-withdrawal).
Have you studied Robin Hansons post over on OB? Some interesting stuff, some studies and sources. http://www.overcomingbias.com/2011/12/work-hour-skepticism.html http://www.overcomingbias.com/2011/12/construction-peak-60hrwk.html http://www.overcomingbias.com/2011/12/why-work-hour-limits.html
I'd like to come. Say why is it that there are these regular winter solstice meetups in Leipzig but no regular one?
Well, there have been experiments on humans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_center#Human_experiments
At its most frequent, the patient self-stimulated throughout the day, neglecting personal hygiene and family commitments. >A chronic ulceration developed at the tip of the finger used to adjust the amplitude dial and she frequently tampered with >the device in an effort to increase the stimulation amplitude. At times, she implored her to limit her access to the >stimulator, each time demanding its return after a short hiatus. During the past two years, compulsive use has become >associated with frequent attacks of anxiety, depersonalization, periods of psychogenic polydipsia and virtually complete >inactivity.
I am imagining that some issues of depression/social anxiety might be a lot easier resolved in an ancestral environment. Especially the social anxiety part.
some personal anecdotes /data points from someone in a similar situation (social anxiety,depression,procrastination to the point of dropping out of uni,going abroad): I was lucky with my CBT-psychotherapist,they helped me unravelling that big knot of connected issues. I am still suffering, but now equipped to deal with it. That said, I decided to travel for 8month (NZ),basically as frontal override for some of my issues. Be aware traveling with mental issues can terribly backfire; you are on your own without your usual escape strategies. Depending on your flavour of issues, strategies to get around that vary but expect and be resolved to have the same bad days like at home. Having heaps of money to get your own room/room service/fast food/return tickets helps; ensure a really solid safety net from home (someone to lend you money,do minor services for you,people to call at strange times, people to call you regularly). Do not expect the condition "abroad" to change you quickly- you'll still find it harder to get to know people than others. Expect lots of gras is greener-fallacy; I caught my brain giving the exactly same reasons for going home early that it gave month ago for going away. That said,was going away a good decision? Yes. Was it the optimal decision? I am not sure.
Ah well, do not stress yourself too much, if sunday is the optimal solution, I will just drop by at a later meetup (being optimistic that there will be more).
Traveller from europe would be interested but I am currently residing at the westcoast, which would make saturday a lot more comfortable.
Some time ago you made the public offer to talk to depressed or otherwise seriously lonely people, even though you apparently really dislike phonecalls. Did anybody take you up on it? How did it go?
I'd be interested, but only the small sum of 100$. Did anybody else take you up on that offer? Of course I'd like to verify the pool-persons identity before transfering money.
Have you used glasses or contact lenses before? I'd guess glasses, from what I have heard from friends who switched to contact lenses they get a similar feeling of cognitive unloading.
One person from a group of four people I know who eat vegan sees the need for ending natural suffering in nature; the other do not regard "natural" occuring suffering a problem. So, no.
Telling the troll to eat her feet first so that the emergency portkey does not work?
Although this is often assumed, it has most likely not been the perpetrators real concern. CF:
Also a toe-ring with an emergency portkey to a safe location, in case someone kidnaps Mr. Longbottom and takes him outside Hogwarts's wards.
I strongly suspect it was to heighten the emotional impact on Mr. Potter, to be able to see her face.
Abcr gb 1. Qhzoyrqber jnaq vf rkcyvpvgyl qrfpevorq nf fgenatryl terl, Dhveery ergevrirq gur fgbar cbfgr unfgr nsgre trggvat gbyq ol Uneel nobhg gur flzoby.
Quirrel did not know the lore of the Hallows, until Potter told him; at which point he discovered where the stone of resurrection was, and went to retrieve it. It seems to interfere a little too much that he then went on to study the whole lore to the fullest of his ability, seeing as he was not that interested in it from the beginning. (in canon, the gang learns of the symbol by talking to the father of Luna Lovegood, thats really not an obscure enough source for him to have missed)
Regard Phoenix-travel, in STPE it is explicitly mentioned that the wards of Azkaban allow it as one of a few fast ways in, but also that there is no fast way out. Makes sense in respect to the priors of phoenix-companions: usually good, usually heroic, but not immune to coercion.
Any thoughts on the changing/cooling issue? That seems to really get brushed off. Is a perfect diamond supposed to be absolutely stable at room temperature?
Some thoughts on "Hermiones brain will be transfigured and kept frozen by Harry":
We know from Harrys first transfiguration lesson that transfigured living things undergo changes with time, which will kill said things. Harry knows this, and is thus likely to thing of deep-freezing the Hermione-diamond. Only he also plans to retransfigurate his fathers rock, and we know that one sustained transfiguration is a serious drain on his magic. Add to that the magical drain from having to cool the H-diamond and its thermal buffer, I think it unlikely that he did something of that sorts.
One way to circumvent the drain of the transfigured H-diamond would be to make it microscopically small, but he still would have to touch it regularly; given that its temperature should be in the cryogenic range, only touches with his wand would be feasible.
The only way I can think of to circumvent these problems would be to have others partake in the task, but that brings with it other problems.
Any thoughts which theories Harry tested with
"Is that a usual tactic, by the way?" Harry said, voice still odd. "Carrying something large Transfigured into something small to use as a weapon? Or is that a usual exercise for Transfiguration practice?"
There is another ritual we know of which could be described by the above:
Even so, the most terrible ritual known to me demands only a rope which has hanged a man and a sword which has slain a >woman; and that for a ritual which promised to summon Death itself
Of course there are obvious problems with the exact wording; and it is probable that this ritual just summons a dementor.
Harry had forgotten that he was not to use his timeturner in front of other people- a fact which got him a very stern rebuke from Mcgonagall.
In canon this ritual is used to give the Horcrux-preserved shadow of Voldemort a new body. His body has the shape of a human baby and is able to talk coherently; he reemerges after the ritual with a fullformed body. Hermione has got no Horcrux of her own, and is thus beyond the means of this resurrection ritual.
Urg, mir ist was dazwischengekommen, und werde nicht kommen. Sorry+viel spaß!
As requested, sent you a PM with contact info. Thanks for organising!
Short summary of the first Frankfurt-Meetup:
We were five adults and one child. We had no strict program; in the span of 18 30 to 21 30 we exchanged among others the following things: lifehack-tips; the impressions we get from the LessWrong-community; interest in further meetups, with potential themes; a startup german cryogenic firm. All five of us would be interested to meet again, and we undertook concrete steps to ensure this. It seems as if a more-or-less permanent meetup could be possible.
This concludes the not-last and not-final transmission of the impossible-possible-meetup.
As of january, the pizza-chain Dominos accepts payment in bitcoins; and as of this week, Kim Dotcoms "Mega" filehosting-service accepts them, too.
While I agree in general, I do think such guidelines and agreements are best discussed in a quiet, separate thread, with explicit agreement of the concerned Mods, and not in response to an "emergency" call for help. In this instance, I am very glad that Slade did manage to call for help this way.
I will.
It is ok and not at all inappropriate to seek help here. I myself suffer from depression, so I do know the kind of pain you`re in- right now, as I write this post, I nearly weep tears of sorrow for the fact that you hurt so much right now, and my heart flies out to you.
Please do not kill yourself!
Although it may seem very far away right now, the pain can go away, and you can be happy again. As for an immediate plan of action I would recommend the following things:
first, numb the pain so you do not get worse. Thats not a longterm-solution, its just until this cry of help does help you. What worked for me was watching old TV-Series and Starcraft-2 casts.
second: I certainly do not know your reasons why you do not wish to seek seek professional assistance, but I do understand this reluctance of yours. I myself needed over a year to make the call; a time which I now wish to be much shorter. So i ask you to reconsider: professional help is the fastest form of sustainable relief you can get and is probably the best method to minimize the total amount of suffering. For this, I would find it fantastical if you would not only talk about the reasons why you hurt, but also about the reasons why you do not wish to seek this form of help.
third: Should these feelings suddenly intensify and you really really need someone to talk to at, say, 02 00 am, it is helpful to have saved the number of a suicide hotline into your phone (or some other immediate form of communication, where you do not have to wait for long, thoughtful answers. Set up a IRC-chat.)
A Frankfurter friend of mine suggested the Albatros; I trust his judgement, but did not verify the location. Should any of you know of a better place, please feel free to suggest it here, and I`ll possibly change the location.
Very improbable; in Canon, they break bones in extremities all the time.
We can find in "Quidditch Through the Ages", which can be assumed to be canon, this lovely poem:
Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air
With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair
As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout
But then comes a Bludger and I am knocked out.