I found LessWrong, like so many others, through Methods of Rationality. I have lurked for at least two years now, since I discovered this website; I have read many of Eliezer’s short stories and a few scattered posts of the Sequences. Eventually, I intend to get around to those and read them in a systematic fashion.… eventually.
I’m a computer science student, halfway through my life as an undergraduate at a certain institute of technology. I recently switched my main area of interest to theoretical computer science, after taking an excellent class on the subject that convinced me to relinquish the cached-thought that I would study computational biology. (I have an olympiad-level background in biology, so that particular cached-thought was difficult to overcome. But taking biology courses is just too useless, when I could be learning more challenging theoretical and mathematical material instead.) I find computability theory delicious.
I was raised in a devoutly Christian, creationist family, but by the end of middle school I managed to realize that I disagreed with them. The works of Richard Dawkins were my secret mainstay throughout high school, and arguments with an evangelical high school friend were my favorite way of honing my political philosophy and my skills as a rationalist.
I spent much of my time in high school trying to formulate ethical postulates so that I could develop my own objective system of ethics. I discovered that I agreed with the ideals of humanism and transhumanism only after reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I still get shivers down my spine when I reread certain HPMoR snippets: Harry’s thoughts when casting the Patronus, or his thoughts when looking at the stars, or the ending quote of Chapter 96. Humanism has been a wonderful perspective to acquire.
On areas of improvement: I want to have a better-trained inner pigeon. I seek to improve myself to overcome procrastination and similar problems, but I do not currently have the discipline to do so.
LessWrong has been a great resource for feeding my philosophical curiosity and my awe of science. It is always great to find a community of similar-minded people.
Hello LessWrong!
I found LessWrong, like so many others, through Methods of Rationality. I have lurked for at least two years now, since I discovered this website; I have read many of Eliezer’s short stories and a few scattered posts of the Sequences. Eventually, I intend to get around to those and read them in a systematic fashion.… eventually.
I’m a computer science student, halfway through my life as an undergraduate at a certain institute of technology. I recently switched my main area of interest to theoretical computer science, after taking an excellent class on the subject that convinced me to relinquish the cached-thought that I would study computational biology. (I have an olympiad-level background in biology, so that particular cached-thought was difficult to overcome. But taking biology courses is just too useless, when I could be learning more challenging theoretical and mathematical material instead.) I find computability theory delicious.
I was raised in a devoutly Christian, creationist family, but by the end of middle school I managed to realize that I disagreed with them. The works of Richard Dawkins were my secret mainstay throughout high school, and arguments with an evangelical high school friend were my favorite way of honing my political philosophy and my skills as a rationalist.
I spent much of my time in high school trying to formulate ethical postulates so that I could develop my own objective system of ethics. I discovered that I agreed with the ideals of humanism and transhumanism only after reading Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I still get shivers down my spine when I reread certain HPMoR snippets: Harry’s thoughts when casting the Patronus, or his thoughts when looking at the stars, or the ending quote of Chapter 96. Humanism has been a wonderful perspective to acquire.
On areas of improvement: I want to have a better-trained inner pigeon. I seek to improve myself to overcome procrastination and similar problems, but I do not currently have the discipline to do so.
LessWrong has been a great resource for feeding my philosophical curiosity and my awe of science. It is always great to find a community of similar-minded people.