Too many SMBC comics to get all of them in one post, but here are four recent ones:
#1 The Fermi Paradox is resolved with reference to wireheading.
#2 About mind uploading.
#3 A different kind of singularity, and (naive) Fun Theory.
#4 Making fun of aging singularitarians.
#2041 has exponentially increasing human lifespan as a background assumption.
#2070 argues that we’ll never completely leave behind the regrettable parts of our past.
#2072, #2116′s coda and #2305 are on how societies fail to transition to post-scarcity.
#2123 relates to timeless reasoning.
#2124 looks like a malicious simulator intervening in reality to cause a negative singularity and make it look like humans’ fault. LW thread here.
#2125 is on “Why truth?” (throwing it in since there’s no rationality-in-the-zeitgeist thread).
#2128 references the age/grief relationship.
#2138 portrays the increasing severity of technological risks as technology advances.
#2139 could be read as portraying people’s discomfort with rationally analyzing their relationships without applause lights.
#2143′s last panel is a counterpoint to this OB post.
#2144 is on the future as a time of increasing normalcy.
#2175 uncritically presents standard free-will confusion.
#2184 tries to counter the gerontocracy argument against immortalism.
Not sure I get #2186, but it has its own thread.
No comment on #2191 or the last panel of #2196..
#2203 is yet another(?) simulation scenario.
#2204 relates to Moravec’s paradox and the third observation here.
#2211 uncritically presents standard free-will and quantum-brain confusion.
#2236 has eternally static human lifespan as a background assumption; so does #532 to a lesser extent.
#2286 portrays an almost-Friendly optimization process, and has a thread here.
#2289 is on the inexhaustibility of fun and/or its converse.
#2290 mocks the absurd idea that medical expert systems could be effective.
#2298 mocks the failures and/or anti-epistemologies of mainstream academic philosophy.
No comment on the argument for mortalism in #2299.
#2300 warns against a particular type of pseudorationality.
No comment on #2312.
#2398 is on naively extrapolating exponential trends.
#2401 presents a paradox of causal decision theory.
#2418 involves prediction markets.
Older comics:
#83 is on TDT and free-will confusion.
#209 is on 2 + 2.
I think #407, #922 and #1424 are on the problem of maxim specification and of choosing the right level of abstraction to apply a rule at, or something.
#693 references immortality.
#778 is on the ethics of using animals in developing transhumanist technologies.
#1106, #1228, #1762 and #1943 related to “diseased thinking”.
#1259 and #1579 relate to Superhappyism and choosing to be happy.
#1327 relates to Robin Hanson’s position on SETI.
#1570 is on Goodhart’s law and the difference between maximizing expected utility and expectation of utility.
#1636 and possibly #1889 uncritically incorporate the false dichotomy of “certain” and “uncertain” knowledge.
#1752 speculates about the origins of mortalism.
#1760 has a thread here.
#1763 portrays updating yourself incrementally.
#1765 is a simple example of what EY calls munchkinism.
#1828 appears to get quantum entanglement badly wrong.
#1847.
#1856 is on beliefs that don’t pay rent.
#1932 is on metaphysics.
Too many SMBC comics to get all of them in one post, but here are four recent ones:
#1 The Fermi Paradox is resolved with reference to wireheading.
#2 About mind uploading.
#3 A different kind of singularity, and (naive) Fun Theory.
#4 Making fun of aging singularitarians.
#2041 has exponentially increasing human lifespan as a background assumption.
#2070 argues that we’ll never completely leave behind the regrettable parts of our past.
#2072, #2116′s coda and #2305 are on how societies fail to transition to post-scarcity.
#2123 relates to timeless reasoning.
#2124 looks like a malicious simulator intervening in reality to cause a negative singularity and make it look like humans’ fault. LW thread here.
#2125 is on “Why truth?” (throwing it in since there’s no rationality-in-the-zeitgeist thread).
#2128 references the age/grief relationship.
#2138 portrays the increasing severity of technological risks as technology advances.
#2139 could be read as portraying people’s discomfort with rationally analyzing their relationships without applause lights.
#2143′s last panel is a counterpoint to this OB post.
#2144 is on the future as a time of increasing normalcy.
#2175 uncritically presents standard free-will confusion.
#2184 tries to counter the gerontocracy argument against immortalism.
Not sure I get #2186, but it has its own thread.
No comment on #2191 or the last panel of #2196..
#2203 is yet another(?) simulation scenario.
#2204 relates to Moravec’s paradox and the third observation here.
#2211 uncritically presents standard free-will and quantum-brain confusion.
#2236 has eternally static human lifespan as a background assumption; so does #532 to a lesser extent.
#2286 portrays an almost-Friendly optimization process, and has a thread here.
#2289 is on the inexhaustibility of fun and/or its converse.
#2290 mocks the absurd idea that medical expert systems could be effective.
#2298 mocks the failures and/or anti-epistemologies of mainstream academic philosophy.
No comment on the argument for mortalism in #2299.
#2300 warns against a particular type of pseudorationality.
No comment on #2312.
#2398 is on naively extrapolating exponential trends.
#2401 presents a paradox of causal decision theory.
#2418 involves prediction markets.
Older comics:
#83 is on TDT and free-will confusion.
#209 is on 2 + 2.
I think #407, #922 and #1424 are on the problem of maxim specification and of choosing the right level of abstraction to apply a rule at, or something.
#693 references immortality.
#778 is on the ethics of using animals in developing transhumanist technologies.
#1106, #1228, #1762 and #1943 related to “diseased thinking”.
#1259 and #1579 relate to Superhappyism and choosing to be happy.
#1327 relates to Robin Hanson’s position on SETI.
#1570 is on Goodhart’s law and the difference between maximizing expected utility and expectation of utility.
#1636 and possibly #1889 uncritically incorporate the false dichotomy of “certain” and “uncertain” knowledge.
#1752 speculates about the origins of mortalism.
#1760 has a thread here.
#1763 portrays updating yourself incrementally.
#1765 is a simple example of what EY calls munchkinism.
#1828 appears to get quantum entanglement badly wrong.
#1847.
#1856 is on beliefs that don’t pay rent.
#1932 is on metaphysics.