@medjed.bsky.social
you'll note this is all stuff the petit bourgeoisie aped from the bourgeoisie proper (and that the burghers themselves aped from the nobility), in the process of overturning the status hierarchy ante
November 10, 2025 at 10:39 PM
you'll note this is all stuff the petit bourgeoisie aped from the bourgeoisie proper (and that the burghers themselves aped from the nobility), in the process of overturning the status hierarchy ante
this happens on many levels, like the rural farmer sneering at the city-slicker who can't cook for himself, but for the urban middle class, it takes the form of conspicuous aesthetic preening, ironically using an aesthetic sense borrowed from an older aristocracy
November 10, 2025 at 10:34 PM
this happens on many levels, like the rural farmer sneering at the city-slicker who can't cook for himself, but for the urban middle class, it takes the form of conspicuous aesthetic preening, ironically using an aesthetic sense borrowed from an older aristocracy
my hot take here is cultivating 'taste' is predominantly upper middle class strivers coping with a lack of agency over the world, like one might not be rich/famous/powerful, but one can still sneer at the gauche behavior of the so-called 'elite'
November 10, 2025 at 10:34 PM
my hot take here is cultivating 'taste' is predominantly upper middle class strivers coping with a lack of agency over the world, like one might not be rich/famous/powerful, but one can still sneer at the gauche behavior of the so-called 'elite'
no, he has a point
November 10, 2025 at 10:09 PM
no, he has a point
lets go one step further, diff an underexploited research space then set a swarm of research-locust on it
November 10, 2025 at 6:37 AM
lets go one step further, diff an underexploited research space then set a swarm of research-locust on it
the incentive alignment is such that you want to pursue world changing pro-social achievement anyway
November 10, 2025 at 6:21 AM
the incentive alignment is such that you want to pursue world changing pro-social achievement anyway
stop anthropomorphizing biskers, you're experiencing bisk psychosis
November 10, 2025 at 1:53 AM
stop anthropomorphizing biskers, you're experiencing bisk psychosis
they don't have to take instructions to learn from us, in the same way we study animals without needing to follow their lead (except wrt cats)
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 AM
they don't have to take instructions to learn from us, in the same way we study animals without needing to follow their lead (except wrt cats)
getting under their OODA loop
November 9, 2025 at 7:21 PM
getting under their OODA loop
it would work better as a gwern-site
im confident it would be fairly simple, though grueling, for claude to adapt
eg bookofsand.net/hypertext/
im confident it would be fairly simple, though grueling, for claude to adapt
eg bookofsand.net/hypertext/
The Book of Sand
THE BOOK OF SAND (bookofsand.net/hypertext):
Interactive hypertext version of Jorge Luis Borges' story
bookofsand.net
November 9, 2025 at 6:06 PM
it would work better as a gwern-site
im confident it would be fairly simple, though grueling, for claude to adapt
eg bookofsand.net/hypertext/
im confident it would be fairly simple, though grueling, for claude to adapt
eg bookofsand.net/hypertext/
obviously, it needs to be async to scale your booming boutique homestead distressing business
November 9, 2025 at 9:30 AM
obviously, it needs to be async to scale your booming boutique homestead distressing business
'SinkHomesteadIntoTheSea()'
November 9, 2025 at 9:29 AM
'SinkHomesteadIntoTheSea()'
tl;dr 'skin in the game is critical to civilization, and work is how we show skin'
intellectually, we have developed more sophisticated signals as society scaled, but none are as powerful and universal as sacrifice
intellectually, we have developed more sophisticated signals as society scaled, but none are as powerful and universal as sacrifice
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 AM
tl;dr 'skin in the game is critical to civilization, and work is how we show skin'
intellectually, we have developed more sophisticated signals as society scaled, but none are as powerful and universal as sacrifice
intellectually, we have developed more sophisticated signals as society scaled, but none are as powerful and universal as sacrifice
work is/was a credible signal you're not defecting from the common wellbeing of your tribe, which is necessary to group cohesion, avoid resentment, pool risk, etc, 'sacrifice on behalf of the group' is the foundation of trust (we're in this together) and ethics (i will treat you as you treat me)
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 AM
work is/was a credible signal you're not defecting from the common wellbeing of your tribe, which is necessary to group cohesion, avoid resentment, pool risk, etc, 'sacrifice on behalf of the group' is the foundation of trust (we're in this together) and ethics (i will treat you as you treat me)
i feel like logic-brain is a fairly recent phenomenon
we take it for granted now due to public education, but logic is actually a novel worldview across cultures
we take it for granted now due to public education, but logic is actually a novel worldview across cultures
November 9, 2025 at 2:57 AM
i feel like logic-brain is a fairly recent phenomenon
we take it for granted now due to public education, but logic is actually a novel worldview across cultures
we take it for granted now due to public education, but logic is actually a novel worldview across cultures
board game people: i can't wait to play my $100 game one and throw it in the closet
November 7, 2025 at 11:59 PM
board game people: i can't wait to play my $100 game one and throw it in the closet
i imagine delivery drones will see mass use way before butlers
November 7, 2025 at 5:21 PM
i imagine delivery drones will see mass use way before butlers
i am thinking specifically of gamergate and the throughline from that to the end of pax americana
it is surprisingly difficult to determine which was more impactful, gamergate or 'attention'
it is surprisingly difficult to determine which was more impactful, gamergate or 'attention'
November 7, 2025 at 12:06 AM
i am thinking specifically of gamergate and the throughline from that to the end of pax americana
it is surprisingly difficult to determine which was more impactful, gamergate or 'attention'
it is surprisingly difficult to determine which was more impactful, gamergate or 'attention'
really? it seems easier to me
November 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
really? it seems easier to me
i think this could've been anticipated and prepared for, but this is a strange blind spot for chinse engineers i feel, like they're not aware nor account for stereotypes
November 6, 2025 at 9:10 PM
i think this could've been anticipated and prepared for, but this is a strange blind spot for chinse engineers i feel, like they're not aware nor account for stereotypes
also a weakness, the coding models over-index on human timelines for ETAs and underestimate their own multiplier
also they don't keep up with the frontier as well, often offering advice 5-10 years out of date
also they don't keep up with the frontier as well, often offering advice 5-10 years out of date
November 6, 2025 at 8:45 AM
also a weakness, the coding models over-index on human timelines for ETAs and underestimate their own multiplier
also they don't keep up with the frontier as well, often offering advice 5-10 years out of date
also they don't keep up with the frontier as well, often offering advice 5-10 years out of date
in the future, people will goon to vintage playboy as a kind of fashion/grounding
November 6, 2025 at 7:44 AM
in the future, people will goon to vintage playboy as a kind of fashion/grounding
'why are you whispering sotto voce to your ring'
'no reason'
'no reason'
November 6, 2025 at 7:21 AM
'why are you whispering sotto voce to your ring'
'no reason'
'no reason'