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Re: Random

#17
Draglide12 wrote:Hmm, anyone who hasn't read "The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect" should. It's amazing, may change your like outlook.

http://localroger.com/prime-intellect/

Spread the word.
It's still pretty good, but there's one thing about the story I find to be pretty implausible:
Spoiler:      SHOW
Lawrence creates a machine that's not only more intelligent than a human being but also has the potential to make itself yet smarter, and ChipTek can't think of any applications for that beyond military ones? "Herp derp, if we can't use this technology to kill other people it must be worthless". I mean I know these guys are American but even Americans should be capable of realising that an artificial general intelligence has applications everywhere - you build a machine that is smarter than man and can make itself smarter still and it will revolutionise absolutely every aspect of our lives. Any company that monopolistically produces and sells this technology would quickly find themselves worth trillions of dollars whether or not they allow they allow the technology to be used for military purposes - that is unless the whole concept of money becomes redundant before they reach that stage, since the whole idea of the technology singularity (which the development of an AGI would precipitate) is that sociological laws break down at it and it becomes impossible to model beyond it.
I like this part: "He had created in passion, and passion isn't sane. If it were, nobody would have children".
Image It reminds me of a quotation of Schopenhauer's that I very much like:
If children were brought into the world by an act of pure reason alone, would the human race continue to exist? Would not a man rather have so much sympathy with the coming generation as to spare it the burden of existence, or at any rate not take it upon himself to impose that burden upon it in cold blood?
I'm slightly confused about the following as well. Is it a mistake?
Spoiler:      SHOW
Lawrence wasn't vain and he was in a hurry to get started; the metal building would be more than adequate for his purposes.
[...(much later)...]
And Lawrence was vain enough to think his vision was superior to most. (emphasis added)
Edit:
Spoiler:      SHOW
But now the RANDOM_IMAGINATION_ENGINE made a critical connection, one which Lawrence had been expecting it to make ever since it had used the Correlation Effect to teleport Mitchell out of the console room.
Prime Intellect could use its control over physical reality to improve itself. Then it would be better able to fulfill its Three Law imperatives.
Aw yiss. Motha. Fuckin. Recursive self-improvement. Bootstrapping itself to ultra-intelligence and quasi-omnipotence.
Image
Spoiler:      SHOW
Lawrence slept fitfully, his dreams haunted by snippets of C code and GAT symbols
C and GAT? CGAT? TAGC. Thymine. Adenine. Guanine. Cytosine.

That can't be coincidence, can it?
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Re: Random

#20
I'll do ti for him. The teacher needs to be taught a lesson, and the school administrators in charge need some polite application of sharp instruments to sensitive places on their bodies. I'll do it myself. I had the same problems being bullied in middle school, then being punished for doing something about it. Got expelled in eighth grade for telling the principal to go fuck himself.

Stuff like this pisses me off.
They shall call me, Draglide! The thread killer!
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Re: Random

#23
What do you expect? We aren't a true democracy or republic. We vote for people to make decisions for us. It's not a majority rule. Nothing stops those from running for office and then doing the exact opposite. In fact, I believe the term 'Political Suicide' was coined by the US. There's a reason why, afterall.

I find it funny, since I once considered myself an independant, when I started doing some real research into the concepts behind the different parties that run for office, I found myself to be a republican... and then I discovered that we haven't had any true repubs for quite a long time here in the states. :(
Image
Early Spring - 1055: Well, I made it to Boatmurdered, and my initial impressions can be set forth in three words: What. The. F*ck.
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Re: Random

#26
I need to get off the internet. I keep getting this sensation that I want to go on a mass shooting spree trying to discuss things on the Nationstates forums. Then again, we are talking about a forum so filled with logical fallacies, idiots, and ad-homonym attacks that it's top stickied thread is a set of links to suicide hotlines and resources for the depressed.

Was discussing "poverty" in the U.S. Morons didn't like it when I suggested it was nonexistent. Fucking idiots need to be sent to the third world for a bit so they can learn what poor really means.
They shall call me, Draglide! The thread killer!
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Re: Random

#27
Draglide12 wrote:I need to get off the internet. I keep getting this sensation that I want to go on a mass shooting spree trying to discuss things on the Nationstates forums. Then again, we are talking about a forum so filled with logical fallacies, idiots, and ad-homonym attacks that it's top stickied thread is a set of links to suicide hotlines and resources for the depressed.

Was discussing "poverty" in the U.S. Morons didn't like it when I suggested it was nonexistent. Fucking idiots need to be sent to the third world for a bit so they can learn what poor really means.
I stopped playing Nationstates because it was boring. You should too.

Poverty does exist in the United States. It's not as extreme, but poverty doesn't have to be an absolute idea, it's a relative concept as well. Anyone who lives below the standard of living of a given area by necessity (not by choice) is poor relative to that region.

Someone with a small house, crappy beater car for a daily driver (or no car at all, for that matter), low wages, and few savings is generally considered poor by United States standards. In an absolute sense, anyone without running water, motorized transportation, or a stable means of maintaining their physical health (by proper nutrition, medicines, and sanitation) is universally considered impoverished.

But saying that poverty "doesn't exist" in the United States is a fallacy. Just because someone has it worse does not mean that the person who's slightly better off has nothing to complain about. Their experience is made no less valid if they aren't absolutely poor, and their experience is made no more valid if they are.

I wouldn't call them "fucking idiots" next time, because they were more or less correct.
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Re: Random

#28
These people are going on like its destitution! "Oh we have to help these poor, starving children!" No! There is no destitution in this country except by choice. Food and clean water are easy to come by. The amount of people in the U.S. that don't have a decent (not necessarily nice) house, and some car is miniscule. Even those have all of the necessities covered at the least. I get so sick and tired of Americans whining about how bad they have it. I live in a "poor" neighborhood in the United States, and there isn't anyone here who wants for anything.
They shall call me, Draglide! The thread killer!
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Re: Random

#29
Draglide12 wrote:These people are going on like its destitution! "Oh we have to help these poor, starving children!" No! There is no destitution in this country except by choice. Food and clean water are easy to come by. The amount of people in the U.S. that don't have a decent (not necessarily nice) house, and some car is miniscule. Even those have all of the necessities covered at the least. I get so sick and tired of Americans whining about how bad they have it. I live in a "poor" neighborhood in the United States, and there isn't anyone here who wants for anything.
Apparently you've never met a homeless person. There is destitution; there is poverty. Failing to recognize that fact is only a contribution to the problem.
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Re: Random

#30
I have met homeless people. I didn't say there is no destitution, but in the majority of the extremely few cases, it is by choice. I've met plenty of people who prefer to just wander homeless, and they make up the larger portion of America's homeless. Even the homeless though can find shelter (albeit uncomfortable) and plenty of food and clean water, something that cannot be said for most of the rest of the world.
They shall call me, Draglide! The thread killer!

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