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GregL's avatar

Somehow or other, I had either never heard of, or have long since forgotten the “willingness to lie” study. It sounds very interesting, and I’m going to read more about it. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

I’m going to download a couple of podcasts from Singularity University to listen to the next time I make a long drive. Are there any that you’d particularly recommend?

I waiver between optimism and pessimism about the future of humanity.

There are always reasons to be optimistic. It’s impossible to predict some positive event like the dissolution of the Soviet Union or the dismantling of the Berlin wall, or some new invention that will benefit humanity. Almost all inventions and technology can be used to either benefit or harm humanity. The only exception I can think of is certain kinds of military weaponry like nuclear bombs which at least on this planet don’t have any beneficial uses.

Decentralization is an important tool, and technology can either assist or hinder decentralization.

OTOH, I tend to be pessimistic, mainly because of state funding for science, which crowds out private funding. The number of Robert Stadlers in the world increases every year.

Another reason to be pessimistic is the way that rules shape our culture. Of course, it’s possible that the rules will change to favor a different outcome, but the way the rules are being shaped in modern society, they increasingly favor the guardian syndrome over the commerce syndrome.

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