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.
I, too, vacillate between pessimism and optimism. Still, I try to stay optimistic based on the wisdom of positive psychologists who suggest that optimists are more likely to catalyze successful movements. He says: "The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case. The optimists believe defeat is not their fault: Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder." I guess that means, for me, optimism or pessimism is not so much an assessment of the world but a disposition to be cultivated. If enough of us are so disposed, we have a better chance to transform the world for the better. Of course, we might fail, but I have kids. So failure doesn't seem like an option. In truth, we might well stumble into a future of mediocrity--the legacy of a world filled with optimists, pessimists, and everything in between. (That said, optimism can and should be tempered by realism. More on this another day, perhaps.) Even in the face of really terrible odds, I try to stay positive.
I don't have any podcasts that I slavishly listen to or watch. I have about 50 that I bounce in and out of, and a lot of it is sensational garbage. That said, this post has inspired me to come up with an Underthrow podcast list.
Oh! I thought because you did an interview with Singularity University, you might have listened to some of their other ones. The number and quality of podcasts has improved a lot over the last 10 years, but I seldom listen to them unless I'm traveling.
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.
I, too, vacillate between pessimism and optimism. Still, I try to stay optimistic based on the wisdom of positive psychologists who suggest that optimists are more likely to catalyze successful movements. He says: "The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case. The optimists believe defeat is not their fault: Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder." I guess that means, for me, optimism or pessimism is not so much an assessment of the world but a disposition to be cultivated. If enough of us are so disposed, we have a better chance to transform the world for the better. Of course, we might fail, but I have kids. So failure doesn't seem like an option. In truth, we might well stumble into a future of mediocrity--the legacy of a world filled with optimists, pessimists, and everything in between. (That said, optimism can and should be tempered by realism. More on this another day, perhaps.) Even in the face of really terrible odds, I try to stay positive.
I don't have any podcasts that I slavishly listen to or watch. I have about 50 that I bounce in and out of, and a lot of it is sensational garbage. That said, this post has inspired me to come up with an Underthrow podcast list.
Oh! I thought because you did an interview with Singularity University, you might have listened to some of their other ones. The number and quality of podcasts has improved a lot over the last 10 years, but I seldom listen to them unless I'm traveling.