I post every Thursday/Friday about what fields related to decision theory can teach us about society
I want to spread the ideas of others, but I don’t want to plagiarize them. So, for the next few weeks, I will run a series called “Speech Highlights” wherein I’ll link to some fascinating speeches and discuss them. First up: Biologist Richard Dawkins demonstrates the evolution of the eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X1iwLqM2t0 The eye is often … Continue reading Speech: Richard Dawkins explains the adaptive valley
Pick a game you can win. Again, pick a game you can win. You may think work = success, like a linear equation. The more work, or investment of any sort, the more success. ___ @tferriss @cgpgrey The Adaptive Valley How to innovate like now other can
Why do males exist? It doesn't make any sense. Introduction: Convergent Structures Convergent Structures are where two species develop the same characteristics, separately. They acquired like traits because they worked, not because of any shared ancestor. This should be familiar from high school bio. Birds evolved wings - but so did many and mammals (with the bats). … Continue reading Why Do Males Exist? (The Adaptive Valley, Part 1)
Have you ever wondered why there is still a royal family in the UK? One that doesn’t ostensibly holds no power, and “rules” over (several) otherwise democratic countries? Have you ever wondered about seemingly arbitrary cultural practices, like marriage? Why businessmen wear a suit and tie? These things seem normal because they are the way … Continue reading Traditions and Junk DNA
A biologist I admire, Bret Weinstein, employs a four-part test to determine whether a trait is the product of evolution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtdOhBoZfNg Is it complex? Does it have a cost? Is there variation in the amount of cost that is spent? Does it persist over evolutionary time? If a trait has all of those characteristics, then … Continue reading The errors with Bret Weinstein’s four-part test of adaption
We know what we as humans are designed for. Ostensibly, the goal of all life is to survive and reproduce, (or by any other means spread its genetic information). Our intelligence did not evolve as an end in itself. It evolved because it happened to be useful for the above purpose in our environment. You … Continue reading If we design strong AI, it might not take over the world. It might just sit around masturbating.
