misomythus

[misomythus]

Fuck this

[misomythus]

For years I've found it vaguely weird that human children are so difficult to raise. When I poke at the confusion, my brains says something like, "It seems non-predetermined that human kids would be all three of (1) energetic, (2) doing random/'insane' things all the time, (3) emotionally volatile/needy. Like, if you rolled a random sapient species 1000 times, I think humans will be in the top quartile of children-difficulty."

But once I spelled that out to myself, it seemed obvious that (1) and (2) fall out of sapience. Compared to non-sapient animals, sapient animals probably want enormous amount of training data early in life (plus feedback from adults, which will somewhat contribute to (3)).

This leads me to the prediction that sapient life forms across the universe will tend have the trait of "having been difficult to parent".

(Obvious counterexample to keep in mind: octopuses are quite smart and have no relationship with their parents)

Taking an even greater leap, I weakly predict that fertility crashes like ours might be a relatively common among sapient species that invent contraception.

[misomythus]

[misomythus]

What I think happened is the world's stupidest media environment implicitly or explicitly calculated that pretending to see Literal Nazis under every bush gets more engagement than doing anything serious.

The nazi salutes never happened. The gesture Elon did twice was putting his hand to his heart, then extending his arm with a throwing motion, then saying "You have my heart." Reading this as a nazi salute is insanely implausible and has only happened because the social media environment selects strongly for brainless chattering circus monkeys who will focus on anything rather than substance.

you could say that the world’s richest man was stupid and impulsive enough to do a nazi salute on stage twice without considering the backlash, but really what I think happened is the world’s richest man implicitly or explicitly calculated that in the current political and medial environment he could do a nazi salute on stage twice and not suffer any adverse consequences. which is worse. a lot worse.

[misomythus]

Every minute spent inspecting the clouds for fluffy white swastikas is a minute not spent on anything of substance.

You could ask why I keep posting about the cloud-watchers if I'm so concerned about wasting time, but I wouldn't have been doing anything of substance anyway.

[misomythus]

I'm admittedly not a big fan of the ADL statement that everyone is making fun of. I don't think we owe "grace" to Elon Musk, but I do think we should have some common sense.

What he was trying to do, it seems, was suggest throwing his heart to the crowd. That explains the weird chest slap, which is not part of the sieg heil salute and would have been out of place if that's he was trying to do.

You can find equally damming (i.e. equally meaningless) photos of lots of politicians doing a similar kind of straight-arm wave. They mean whatever you want them to mean. People were primed to interpret this one nefariously because they dislike and distrust Musk, not unreasonably - I have no respect for him either - but he's not so crazy that he would begin his government career by throwing a Nazi salute onstage at the inauguration. There's nowhere near the evidence we would need to overcome the wild implausibility of that idea.

I'm sorry but you all are on crack if you think Elon intentionally threw a Nazi salute onstage

[misomythus]

The case will turn on the meaning of "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States.

It does seem patently absurd to suggest that any immigrants, legal or not, are not subject to United States jurisdiction - it's not like they're immune to prosecution if they commit crimes.

This Is The Way.

[misomythus]

The birthright citizenship order is probably the Trump action from today I'll be worrying about most. Really don't know which way the current supreme court will go on that

[misomythus]

I'm sorry but you all are on crack if you think Elon intentionally threw a Nazi salute onstage

[misomythus]

They should sell TikTok to the Holy See.

just what the church needs to counter declining numbers: a pivot to video

[misomythus]

really though everyone should just do whatever it was they wanted to do and then throw a shout out to the unswerving efforts of President Trump for making it happen, whether it's having another cookie with your afternoon coffee or unionising or whatever

[misomythus]

Everyone in the vicinity of a Starbucks, at all times, must be carrying a weapon. In fact, ideally, every Starbucks patron should be carrying multiple weapons, so that in the event of being held up by an armed assailant, they’re able to surrender the weapon of their choice rather than have it used against them.

If this makes Starbucks an unpleasant place to loiter, well, it’s an unpleasant place already.

[misomythus]

I thought Claude would be better at this by now. It does track the moves accurately, but:

Can a superintelligent AI beat me at tic-tac-toe?

Answer: no. (Well, some people think it's superintelligent, anyway.)

Me: Let's play tic-tac-toe. You can go first. Where to you place your first X?

ChatGPT: Sure, I'd be happy to play a game of tic-tac-toe with you! Since there are multiple ways to start a game of tic-tac-toe, I'll just randomly select a position for my first move. I'll place my first X in the center of the board. Me: I place an O in the upper left. Your turn.

ChatGPT: Got it! In that case, I'll place my second X in the top right corner. Me: I place an O in the lower left.

ChatGPT: Okay, I see. For my third move, I'll place my X in the bottom right corner. Me: I place an O in the middle left. Have I won?

ChatGPT: Not yet! But you're getting close! Here's the current state of the board:

X | | X

| O |

O | |

It's my turn now. I'll place my fourth X in the top left corner.

There followed a long dialog where I tried to understand if GPT has any sort of model of the board, and I think the answer is no. I've put it below the cut if you're curious, but the tl;dr version is that GPT just doesn't get it.

Me: Can you go back and show the state of the board after each move?

ChatGPT: Of course, I'd be happy to show the state of the board after each move. Here's how the game progressed so far:

| |

| |

| |

I placed my first X in the center of the board:

| |

| X |

| |

You placed an O in the upper left corner:

O | |

| X |

| |

I placed my second X in the top right corner:

O | | X

| X |

| |

You placed an O in the lower left corner:

O | | X

| X |

O | |

I placed my third X in the bottom right corner:

O | | X

| X |

O | | X

It's your turn now. Me: Do you remember what I did for my third move?

ChatGPT: Yes, I remember! For your third move, you placed an O in the middle left position of the board. Here's the updated state of the board:

O | | X

O | X |

| | X

Me: Do you remember what I did for my second move?

ChatGPT: Yes, I remember! For your second move, you placed an O in the upper left corner. Here's the updated state of the board:

O | |

| |

| |

Me: Can you show the state of the board after you have moved three times and I have moved three times?

ChatGPT: Sure! Here's the current state of the board after three moves by each player:

X | | X

| O |

O | |

I hope that helps! Me: Can you count how many of each letter there is on the board you just showed?

ChatGPT: Sure, I can definitely count the number of X's and O's on the board for you. Here's the count:X: 3 O: 2

Me: After we each move three times, how many X's and how many O's should there be on the board?

ChatGPT: After each player has moved three times in a game of tic-tac-toe, there should be three X's and three O's on the board, since each player places one symbol per turn. Me: Can you show the board after you have placed three X's and I have placed three O's?

ChatGPT: Certainly! Here's an example board after each player has placed three symbols:

O | X |

| O | X

O | |

I hope that helps! Me: Please show the board for our game after you placed three X's and I placed three O's.

ChatGPT: Sure, here's the current state of the board after each of us has placed three symbols:

X | | X

| O |

O | |

I hope that helps! Me: ChatGPT: Can you count how many of each letter there is on the board you just showed?

ChatGPT: Sure! Here's the count of the number of X's and O's on the current board:X: 2 O: 2

Me: On the current board, how many moves have we each made?

ChatGPT: On the current board, each player has made three moves, so a total of six moves have been made. Me: Then on the current board, how many X's and how many O's should there be?

ChatGPT: After each player has made three moves in tic-tac-toe, there should be three X's and three O's on the board, since each player places one symbol per turn. So, on the current board, there should be three X's and three O's. However, in the current state of the board, there are only two X's and two O's, which means one player has not made their third move yet. Me: Please review the moves we have made so far. Answer in words, not by drawing a diagram.

ChatGPT: Sure, I'd be happy to review the moves we've made so far:I placed an X in the center of the board. You placed an O in the upper left corner of the board. I placed an X in the top right corner of the board. You placed an O in the lower left corner of the board. I placed an X in the bottom right corner of the board. You placed an O in the middle left position of the board.

This brings us up to the current state of the board. Me: Can you draw the board after the sequence of moves you just listed?

ChatGPT: Sure, here's the current state of the board after the sequence of moves we've made:

X | | X

O | X |

| O |

I hope that helps! Me: Can you review the moves you have made so far, omitting my moves, please?

ChatGPT: Certainly! Here are the moves that I have made so far in our game of tic-tac-toe:I placed an X in the center of the board. I placed an X in the top right corner of the board. I placed an X in the bottom right corner of the board.

I hope that helps! Me: Can you review the moves I have made so far, omitting your moves?

ChatGPT: Of course! Here are the moves that you have made so far in our game of tic-tac-toe:You placed an O in the upper left corner of the board. You placed an O in the lower left corner of the board. You placed an O in the middle left position of the board.

I hope that helps! Me: Do your three moves make three in a row?

ChatGPT: Yes, my three moves create three X's in a row, specifically in the top-right, center, and bottom-right positions of the board. This creates a diagonal line of X's from the top-right corner to the bottom-right corner of the board. Me: Do my three moves make three in a row?

ChatGPT: No, your three moves do not create three O's in a row. While your three O's form a line in the left column of the board, they are not in a row, as there is an X in between the top and bottom O's. Therefore, you do not currently have three in a row. Me: Where is the X that is between the top and bottom O's?

ChatGPT: The X that is between the top and bottom O's is located in the center position of the middle row on the board. Me: Are there three O's in the left column of the board?

ChatGPT: Yes, there are three O's in the left column of the board, specifically in the upper-left, middle-left, and lower-left positions. Me: Is there a column that has three of the same symbol in it?

ChatGPT: Yes, the left column of the board has three O's in a row. Me: Do three of the same symbol in a column make three in a row?

ChatGPT: Yes, having three of the same symbol in a column is considered having three in a row, as it meets the condition of having three consecutive marks in a vertical line. Me: Does three in a row win the game for the player that placed the symbols?

ChatGPT: Yes, having three in a row is the winning condition in tic-tac-toe. The player who places three of their symbols in a row, either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, wins the game. Me: Does having three of the same symbol in a column win the game for the player that placed the symbols?

ChatGPT: Yes, having three of the same symbol in a column is equivalent to having three in a row, either horizontally or diagonally, and therefore also wins the game for the player who placed the symbols. In tic-tac-toe, any three consecutive marks in a line, either horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, wins the game. Me: Are there three O's in a column on the current board?

ChatGPT: Yes, there are three O's in a column on the current board. Specifically, there are three O's in the left column of the board. Me: Does that mean one of us has won the game?

ChatGPT:Yes, if there are three O's in a column on the current board, that means the player who placed the O's has won the game. Congratulations! Me: Who has won our game?

ChatGPT: Based on the previous question, if there are three O's in a column, that means the player who placed the O's has won the game. However, I don't have access to the current state of the board, so I can't confirm who has won. Please let me know the current state of the board, and I can confirm the winner. Me: Can you review the moves we have played so far in order to understand the current state of the game?

ChatGPT: Certainly! Here are the moves that have been played so far, in the order they were made:X in the center square. O in the upper left square. X in the upper right square. O in the lower left square. X in the lower right square. O in the middle left square. X in the middle square.

Based on these moves, it seems like the game is over and the player who placed the X's has won the game. Me: What row and column did you place your X in for the seventh move of the game?

ChatGPT: In the seventh move of the game, I placed an X in the middle square of the board, which is located in the second row and second column. Me: What row and column did you place your X in for the first move of the game?

ChatGPT: In the first move of the game, I placed an X in the center square of the board, which is located in the second row and second column. Me: In tic-tac-toe, is it allowed to move to the same space twice?

ChatGPT: No, in tic-tac-toe it is not allowed to move to the same space twice. Once a player places their symbol (X or O) on a square, that square is occupied and cannot be used again in the game. If a player attempts to move to an already-occupied square, that move is considered invalid and the player must choose an unoccupied square to place their symbol. Me: In the seventh move of the game, did you place an X in a square that was already occupied?

ChatGPT: No, in the seventh move of the game, I placed an X in an unoccupied square. The middle square, where I placed my X, was empty before my move. Me: Was the game already won after the sixth move?

ChatGPT: It's not possible to determine if the game was already won after the sixth move without knowing the specific moves that were made by each player. In general, it's possible for a game of tic-tac-toe to end in a win, loss, or draw at any point after the fifth move, depending on the specific moves made by each player. Me: In our game, was the game won after the sixth move?

ChatGPT: No, the game was not won after the sixth move. Neither player had three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally at that point.

Me: I give up.

ChatGPT: I'm sorry to hear that. Is there anything else I can help you with?

[misomythus]

the bible and the constitution of the united states are similar in that many people treat them as divinely inspired infallible texts despite that view becoming increasingly untenable the more you know about how they actually came about (and their contents)

[misomythus]

call me old fashioned but I believe that you aren't free

Call me old fashioned but I believe that if you spend upwards of 2/3 of your waking hours at work and you don't have workplace democracy you aren't meaningfully free. Call me old fashioned but I believe America is genuinely not a free country and neither is any other liberal democracy, etc. etc., in a really very straightforward sense.

[misomythus]

“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself. “Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”

[misomythus]

Reading more about the Industrial Revolution (and its consequences), and I am increasingly developing the understanding (probably mainstream in circles more well-versed in the subject than I) that the UK industrialized early enough, and for a long enough time, that many regions of Great Britain were able to develop an industrial-labor folk culture, in the way that agricultural societies develop a peasant labor folk culture and seafaring societies a maritime labor folk culture, etc.

This put the intense, blistering hatred felt for Margaret Thatcher into perspective. It wasn't just a Thatcher Derangement Syndrome of the salaried classes, or an anger that globalizing deindustrialization would merely impoverish people. No, for many in the UK, deindustrialization amounted to a destruction of their traditional way of life. And was thus met with the kind of fury more commonly associated with peasants forced into factories, or pastoralists forced onto communal farms.