Utility Maximizer's guide to replicators, networks, game theory, and civilization
In high school, my school bus would drive by a short stone wall lined with graffiti. The graffiti was amateur enough that it was obviously done by the students of the high school (as opposed to most graffiti you see which looks like it was done by gangs). One day, the graffiti was painted over. … Continue reading Keep the graffiti
I am a brave explorer. I discover a new continent. To my surprise, the land mass is completely uninhabited, and I am the first human to set foot on this new earth. I mark my discovery on a map. A year later, replicas of the map have circled the world. I attempt to establish a … Continue reading Proper Sovereignty Manifesto, part 3: Information
Revisions
In the past, I have defined art as, "non-utilitarian." I subsequently contradicted that by defining various utilitarian benefits of art. So what did I mean by, "non utilitarian?" I suppose art can be defined as things without utility - with the exception of specific, surrogate-like benefits. To fully define art, we must enumerate those categories of … Continue reading The appeals of art: final summary
What does computer science have to say about beauty? I seek to answer that. Have you ever wondered why it is pleasurable to listen to music? Part of it may be the touching lyrics and the charismatic musician, but one can enjoy electronic music with no lyrics and from an unknown artist. Part of it … Continue reading Why is Art Beautiful?
The Elephant in the Brain, a speech based on his book of the same name, by Robin Hanson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4lEvvY1r5U&t=2s Although Hanson's delivery may be a little annoying, I like this speech because of the sheer number of "hidden truths" about society that it explains. It's a rundown on just how many social norms are facades. … Continue reading Speech: Robin Hanson explains human signaling
