May 2016 – Grey Enlightenment

Inevitability and Pacifism

A couple months ago, Nick explored the possibility of two revolutions: (1) Techno-economic self-propelling change obsolesces ever wider swathes of humanity on a steepening curve. Capital (i.e. techno-commercial synthesis) tendentially autonomizes. For humans, there are ever more intriguing opportunities for synergistic attachment, on new terms, but the trend is — to put it very mildly… Continue reading Inevitability and Pacifism

Correct Predictions

Predicting the future is notoriously hard, and that seems to have so far discouraged potential authors and readers alike. Predicting is not as hard [1] as, say, understanding theoretical physics or algebraic geometry. There is a simple heuristic I use: assume past trends will continue. Stocks will keep going up, wealth inequality will keep widening,… Continue reading Correct Predictions

The Stark Realities of Self-Publishing

A cold dose of reality on the fanciful world of self-publishing: I just self-published my first novel and am extremely disappointed Most people on here seem to be having flaming success in self-publishing field, but unfortunately I haven’t been graced with such luck – it’s been out for nearly two weeks on Amazon and I… Continue reading The Stark Realities of Self-Publishing

Coding as the ‘New Literacy’.

More evidence that it pays to be smart: Global oil and gas job losses: 350,000 and counting The exploration and production (E&P) sector was the second worst sufferer, registering more than 80,000 layoffs, followed by the drilling sector, which has seen more than 52,000 job cuts. U.S.-specific data from the report shows that nearly 100,000… Continue reading Coding as the ‘New Literacy’.

Taleb’s CV

Part 1: Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Thin-Skin In The Game Going through Taleb’s CV, it’s not as impressive as its length suggests. Owing to his large media presence, getting published in some journals is easier, and a lot of his papers are duplicates of the Black Swan concepts. There are also a lot of opinion and… Continue reading Taleb’s CV

Jobs, Basic Income, Post Scarcity, and all that Jazz

There have been a smattering of wealth inequality/economics articles lately: THREE GREAT ARTICLES ON POVERTY, AND WHY I DISAGREE WITH ALL OF THEM Economics Has Failed America Scott goes on about the unrealistic expectations of trying to teach everyone high-IQ skills, when biology imposes barriers to such hopes: The QZ article warns that it might… Continue reading Jobs, Basic Income, Post Scarcity, and all that Jazz

Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Thin-Skin In The Game

The Talebian One himself, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, whom I have written about at length on this blog, has a new book, “Skin in the Game”, which he has been promoting on Twitter. This is not a review of the book; rather, it’s a review of his broader ideas and character. The problems with Taleb are… Continue reading Nassim Nicholas Taleb: Thin-Skin In The Game

Theranos: The Cards Fall

With recent news of Theranos voiding test results, and other revelations, there is now a definite possibility Theranos has been mortally wounded and that my earlier optimism may have been misplaced. But now even accusations of ‘fraud’ are being thrown around, and I think that’s where the line needs to be drawn. From zr0h3dge: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-18/elizabeth-holmes-admits-theranos-technolgy-fraud-restates-voids-years-test-results… Continue reading Theranos: The Cards Fall

Entering the ‘Grey Zone’

How to Be Grumpy: Aaron Clarey’s The Curse of the High IQ This passage stood out: Look, kid. (I was born in the first week of ’75, so there’s no way he’s older than I am.) Are you aware that Voltaire was repeatedly deported and imprisoned in the goddamn Bastille for bringing about the very… Continue reading Entering the ‘Grey Zone’