Technically probably yes, but the specific position of “it is something we can and should do something about right now” is unfortunately nearly as fringe as AI risk: a bunch of vocal advocates with a small following pushing for it, plus some experts in the broader field and some public figures maybe kinda tentatively flirting with it. So, to me these are two really very comparable positions, very unconventional but also very obvious if you reason from the first principles and some basic background knowledge. Maybe that’s why I may sound a bit frustrated or negative, because it feels like the people who clearly should be able to make this conclusion, for some reason don’t. And that’s why I’m basically asking this question, to understand why don’t or what am I missing or whatever is going on.
By the way, can you clarify what’s your take on the premise of the question? I’m still not sure whether you think:
Rationalists are paying comparatively little attention to mortality and it is justified
Rationalists are paying comparatively little attention to mortality and it is not justified
Rationalists are paying comparatively lot attention to mortality and I’m just not looking in the right places
Something else
Yeah, I’m talking about exercise and “eating healthy” and all the stuff that everyone knows you should do but many don’t because it’s unpleasant and hard.
Ok, in that case akrasia etc debates are very relevant. But even so, not everybody knows. Maybe the facts that you should exercise and watch what you eat themselves are relatively uncontroversial (although I still remember the dark days when EY himself was advocating on facebook that “calories in / calories out” is bullshit). But exactly what kinds of diet and exercise are optimal for longevity is a hugely controversial topic, and it’s mainly not for the lack of data, it’s for the lack of interpretation, i.e. something that we could well try to do on lesswrong. So it’d be cool to see more posts e.g. like this.
By the way, can you clarify what’s your take on the premise of the question?
I lean towards little attention and it is not justified, but I’m really just feeling around in the dark here...and thus my bit of frustration at just jumping right past the step at determining if this is actually the case.
I can imagine plausible arguments for each of the options you give (and more) and I’m not entirely convinced by any of them.
Technically probably yes, but the specific position of “it is something we can and should do something about right now” is unfortunately nearly as fringe as AI risk: a bunch of vocal advocates with a small following pushing for it, plus some experts in the broader field and some public figures maybe kinda tentatively flirting with it. So, to me these are two really very comparable positions, very unconventional but also very obvious if you reason from the first principles and some basic background knowledge. Maybe that’s why I may sound a bit frustrated or negative, because it feels like the people who clearly should be able to make this conclusion, for some reason don’t. And that’s why I’m basically asking this question, to understand why don’t or what am I missing or whatever is going on.
By the way, can you clarify what’s your take on the premise of the question? I’m still not sure whether you think:
Rationalists are paying comparatively little attention to mortality and it is justified
Rationalists are paying comparatively little attention to mortality and it is not justified
Rationalists are paying comparatively lot attention to mortality and I’m just not looking in the right places
Something else
Ok, in that case akrasia etc debates are very relevant. But even so, not everybody knows. Maybe the facts that you should exercise and watch what you eat themselves are relatively uncontroversial (although I still remember the dark days when EY himself was advocating on facebook that “calories in / calories out” is bullshit). But exactly what kinds of diet and exercise are optimal for longevity is a hugely controversial topic, and it’s mainly not for the lack of data, it’s for the lack of interpretation, i.e. something that we could well try to do on lesswrong. So it’d be cool to see more posts e.g. like this.
I lean towards little attention and it is not justified, but I’m really just feeling around in the dark here...and thus my bit of frustration at just jumping right past the step at determining if this is actually the case.
I can imagine plausible arguments for each of the options you give (and more) and I’m not entirely convinced by any of them.