I stopped reading because I couldn’t take the pain anymore, so I don’t know.
mstevens
Karma: 837
Worse, there’s a transition on the direction of dreadful writing.
I personally don’t get on with Anki but there are many many positive reports.
I thought there was enough overlapping interest to be worth linking the launch. and I expect occasional posts may be interesting.
[Link] More Right launched
I look forward to your further posts.
my limited research on these topics has been very negative.
The writing, I agree, is pretty bad, and she has an odd obsession with trains and motors. I can just about understand the “motor” part because it allows some not very good “motor of the world” metaphors.
The appealing part is the depiction of the evil characters as endlessly dependant on the hero characters, and their view of them as an inexhaustible source of resources for whatever they want, and the rejection of this.
I like my Heinlein, but I don’t see the connection.
But this doesn’t seem particularly different from the ambiguity in all language. The linked site seems to suggest there’s some particular lack of meaning in isolated words.
You said ” Dividing by zero doesn’t produce a contradiction”
Several of these links include examples of contradictions. There is no authority required.
For example:
A Contradiction. Suppose we define 1⁄0 = q
for some real number . Multiplying on both sides of the equation gives 1 = 0 * q = 0
which is a contradiction (to 1 and 0 being different numbers).
Sadly no-one has reported back.
I read the book Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand where she sets out her philosophical views.
I found them worryingly convincing. Since they’re also unpleasant and widely rejected, I semi-jokingly semi-seriously want people to talk me out of them.
I initially thought she was being sarcastic. However on seeing this discussion I find the “specific subset of feelings” theory more plausible. She’s rejecting the “feelings” James has.
Quoting from the linked blog:
“Assume that a stranger shouted at you “Broccoli!” Would you have any idea what he meant? You would not. If instead he shouted “I like broccoli” or “I hate broccoli” you would know immediately what he meant. But the word by itself, unless used as an answer to a question (e.g., “What vegetable would you like?”), conveys no meaning”
I don’t think that’s true? Surely the meaning is an attempt to bring that particular kind of cabbage to my attention, for as yet unexplained reasons.
My reaction to Rand is pretty emotional, rather than “I see why her logic is correct!”, which I think justifies the motivated cognition aspect a little bit.
Not that I’ve seen. It’d be cool though. I think maybe you can see traces in people like Peter Watts, but if you take HPMOR as the defining example, I can’t think of anything.
I’ve been reading Atlas Shrugged and seem to have caught a case of Randianism. Can anyone recommend treatment?
I am hoping for someone to write Anita Blake, Rational Vampire Hunter.
Or the rationalist True Blood (it already has “True” in the title!)
I’m looking for more on the should-universe you occasionally see referenced around lesswrong.
So far all I can see is some vague references from EY (eg http://lesswrong.com/lw/2nz/less_wrong_open_thread_september_2010/2k50 )
Anyone got anything?