rationalnewsletter

Issue #130

The "bias blind spot" passes the replication test with flying colors: People can see the impact of biases on the judgment of others, but fail to see it in themselves. // www.researchgate.net

# Coronavirus

Covid 9/17: It’s Worse // Zvi, 10 min

Link: Vitamin D Can Likely End the COVID-19 Pandemic - Rootclaim Blog // Kenny, 1 min

# Instrumental

Gems from the Wiki: Do The Math, Then Burn The Math and Go With Your Gut // habryka4, 3 min

Taking Social Initiative // neel-nanda-1, 15 min

Noticing Wasted Motion // lynettebye, 4 min

Low hanging fruits (LWCW 2020) // ArthurRainbow, 4 min

On Niceness: Looking for Positive Externalities // neel-nanda-1, 11 min

# Ai

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (4th edition) on the Alignment Problem // Zack_M_Davis, 5 min

Why GPT wants to mesa-optimize & how we might change this // John_Maxwell_IV, 10 min

Expansive translations: considerations and possibilities // ozziegooen, 7 min

The "Backchaining to Local Search" Technique in AI Alignment // adamShimi, 2 min

# Anthropic

My computational framework for the brain // steve2152, 14 min Favorite

Perspective-Based Reasoning Should Favour the Copenhagen Interpretation // dadadarren, 4 min

# Decision theory

Against boots theory // philh, 7 min Favorite

What Does "Signalling" Mean? // abramdemski, 2 min

Gems from the Wiki: Acausal Trade // habryka4, 8 min

The Axiological Treadmill // evan-huus, 2 min

Making the Monte Hall problem weirder but obvious // dynomight, 1 min

# Books

Book Review: Working With Contracts // johnswentworth, 13 min Favorite

Notes: The Starship and the Canoe by Kenneth Brower // Venkatesh Rao, 1 min

# Relationships

Some thoughts on criticism // Buck, 6 min Favorite

Let the AI teach you how to flirt // AllAmericanBreakfast, 2 min

# Community

EA Relationship Status // jkaufman, 1 min

[Link] Five Years and One Week of Less Wrong // abramdemski, 2 min

How do you celebrate your birthday? // MathieuRoy, 1 min

Effective Altruism and Rationalist Philosophy Discussion Group // Chris_Leong, 1 min

SlateStarCodex online meetup: Integrating evolutionary psychology and behaviorism // Joshua_Fox, 1 min

# Culture war

Against Victimhood // Jacobian, 8 min

# Misc

What happens if you drink acetone? // dynomight, 2 min Favorite

Rationality for Kids? // goose000, 1 min

Memorizing a Deck of Cards // Tofly, 2 min

A case study in simulacra levels and the Four Children of the Seder // AllAmericanBreakfast, 5 min

Progress: Fluke or trend? // jasoncrawford, 2 min

# Podcasts

c14: How to Commit a Murder in the Constellation // Constellation, 83 min

EP77 Kamal Sinclair on Science, Storytelling & VR // The Jim Rutt Show, 95 min

# Videos of the week

Why specializing early doesn't always mean career success | David Epstein // TED, 14 min