Dennis Hackethal’s Blog

My blog about philosophy, coding, and anything else that interests me.

Tweets

An archive of my tweets and retweets through . They may be formatted slightly differently than on Twitter. API access has since gotten prohibitively expensive – I don't know whether or when I'll be able to update this archive.

But in case I will, you can subscribe via RSS – without a Twitter account. Rationale

"We’re not here to promote American values"

I have recommended people not use Airbnb due to their support of the socialist BLM organization. Now you have another reason: they share your user data with the Communist Party. twitter.com/pnjaban/status…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

.@ChipkinLogan's latest and brilliant article on the futility and authoritarian nature of "truth commissions." Read it now: blog.dennishackethal.com/2020/11/20/a-t…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @KevinKileyCA:
In my district Gov. Newsom's curfew is a dead letter. All three Sheriffs are not enforcing it, trusting people to make th…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@leeerob

Deploying to Heroku for the first time was definitely a BIG one.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Neuro_Skeptic

Nonsense

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SpaceX:
Crew-1’s view of Earth during Dragon’s flight to the @space_station https://t.co/lQW6TYmpB7

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @EricsElectrons:
Identity driven virtue signaling has made its way to respected physics review journals, unfortunately.

If you give wok…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Pertsch

Wie in der Wayback-Maschine ersichtlich ist, wird dieser Artikel staendig veraendert. Das Zitat erscheint leider nicht mehr.

web.archive.org/web/*/https://…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@cmarschner @mzeshle @pmddomingos

It’s not really that heretic to say that individualism is overrated. Many would celebrate that statement, even in the West.

Btw, Germany (where twitter says you live) is pretty collectivist already. “Sozialstaat,” “Eigentum verpflichtet,” etc.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

"I hope that we step up our fight against totalitarian ideas, because even a healthy society means nothing when it isn't free."

Schools instill altruism, which in turn causes lockdowns and acquiescence. Some remarks:

soundcloud.com/dchacke/20-of-…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Good. At least some people are outraged. twitter.com/TheCoronaCure_…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@mrbcyber @MichaelPSenger @ontheasternsea

Meaning any site accessible in China shouldn’t necessarily be trusted?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@pmddomingos

What if the computer-vision system works entirely differently from human vision?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@pmddomingos

That lockdowns are human-rights violations.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @pnjaban:
So Gavin Newsom’s unmasked, crowded $400-a-head dinner at CA’s most exclusive restaurant included MULTIPLE lobbyists. The CA M…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Pertsch

“[...] es sind nicht alles Rechtsextremisten, die dort mitlaufen, sondern auch Menschen, die Existenzängste haben.”
Benjamin Jendro, Gewerkschaft der Polizei

zdf.de/nachrichten/pa…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @tomhyde_:
Oh no! We live in a society where people can profit from saving it. 😭

Thread 🧵👇

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@FunFallibilism

Or why you failed to solve it. Or why you think it can’t be solved. Etc.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@FunFallibilism

Solve a problem you want to solve and for which there exist no non-refuted solutions. Then write about that problem and how you solved it.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@clustertucked

Agreed that the lecture is brilliant. But do you think teenagers should be forced to learn it?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ConQuiX_Senbon @DavidDeutschOxf

My guess is they underestimate how badly this kind of thinking is needed. Then there’s the fact that philosophy generally isn’t widely considered important, and that Popper is largely either unknown, misunderstood, or misrepresented.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DavidDeutschOxf

The same channel just published another one. Starts where BoI chapter 10 starts, with the Oracle of Delphi: youtu.be/OZuYrzLvzPs

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ClimateWarrior7

What happened between you two? :/

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Dear friends in California: enjoy your Thanksgiving. Have as many people over as you want. Wear a mask if you prefer. Or don't, if you prefer not to. Newsom does what he wants, so why shouldn't you?

Don't let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lynz_h55

Meh, "important" sounds a bit like self-coercion is just around the corner. Better would be, imo, and following Deutsch: "what would be fun to learn next?"

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Auch Ihnen steht es frei, sich zu isolieren und andere Menschen zu vermeiden. Dafuer ist kein Lockdown noetig.

Die Alternative ist wie gesagt, keinen Lockdown zu haben, Menschen zu befreien, ihre Gesundheit ihnen selbst zu ueberlassen, und sie selbst Risiken planen zu lassen.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Im Gegenzug wuerde es mich sehr freuen, wenn Sie auch kurz darlegen koennten, wie ich Sie davon ueberzeugen koennte – so ueberspitzt es zunaechst klingen mag – dass Lockdowns ein grosses Verbrechen von Regierungen an ihren Buergern sind.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Dies koennten Sie wiederum tun, indem Sie erkenntnistheoretisch erklaeren, wieso Probleme nur durch Zwang und nicht durch Zusammenarbeit und Wissensschoepfung geloest werden koennen.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Auch kleine Kinder sollten zu nichts gezwungen werden.

Ich bin Lockdown-Gegner. Sie koennten mich davon ueberzeugen, dass Lockdowns richtig und wichtig und gut sind, indem Sie eine gute und noch nicht bereits widerlegte moralische Erklaerung dafuer liefern.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Jeder, der mit anderen Leuten physisch in Kontakt tritt, geht das Risiko ein, dass er sich evtl infiziert. Wer dieses Risiko nicht eingehen moechte, dem steht es frei, sich zu isolieren. Er darf nicht verlangen, dass alle anderen zu seinem Wohle dazu gezwungen werden.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Sie moechten ihre eigene Gesundheit verwalten. Es ist nicht ihre Aufgabe, die Gesundheit anderer zu verwalten oder fuer die Gesundheit anderer zu sorgen, und noch weniger, ihr eigenes Leben fuer die Gesundheit anderer zu opfern.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Ich glaube, sehr viele wollen den Lockdown, oder nehmen ihn zumindest als "unvermeidbares Uebel" oder Opfer, das zu bringen gilt, hin.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

We've arrived at the discussion pattern sooner than I thought.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Ich glaube nicht, dass sie so tun wollen, als gaebe es den Virus nicht.

Sie moechten gerne ihr Leben selbst bestimmen und ihre Gesundheit selbst verwalten. Sie moechten selbst ueber Risiken entscheiden. Sie moechten ueberzeugt werden, nicht gezwungen. Was ist daran falsch?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Lauten Ihre Antworten auf meine Fragen "ja" oder "nein"?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

I quote from my tweet 45 min ago:

The article already contains that, so I doubt it would convince you.

Why doesn't what is written in the article already seem plausible to you?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

Do you think it is an accident that those studying the brain model such algorithms in terms of neural networks? Where do you think that inspiration comes from?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

A static mind tells itself: "you know enough." A dynamic mind asks itself: "what else can I learn?"

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Koennte es sein, dass Lockdown-Gegner nicht wollen, dass ihnen diktiert wird, wie sie zu leben haben? Und koennte es nicht auch sein, dass darunter viele Ladeninhaber sind, die drohen, pleite zu gehen?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

I could well be wrong about that because it's been a while. So if you can name something much more specific that would change your mind, I might be down to discuss.

I'm looking for something along the lines of "if it can be shown that .... x"

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

  1. me trying to tell you why something you're saying cannot be true (an attempt at a refutation)
  2. you claiming it is true anyway by giving another example, repeating the point, or bringing up something else I hadn't refuted yet
  3. repeat
@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

The article already contains that, so I doubt it would convince you.

We've discussed before; from what I recall, those discussions usually went:

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SurviveThrive2 @tyrell_turing @danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection

And how could one convince you that you're wrong?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Sie wollen auch keine Busse tun. Unterscheiden sich Lockdown-Gegner also nicht eher von Flagellanten?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Bei den deutschen Lockdown-Gegnern – so wie ich das hier aus den Staaten ueberblicken kann – sind sicherlich ein paar Dummkoepfe und Verschwoerungstheoretiker und Rechtsradikale dabei. Aber es scheint mir, dass sie den Status Quo, also Lockdowns, nicht wollen.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Die Flagellanten geisselten sich, weil sie Gott zeigen wollten, dass sie Busse tun – sie wollten ihm zeigen, dass es ihnen Leid tut, weil sie die Pest als Strafe Gottes sahen. Es ging ihnen darum, den Status Quo – also die Ehrfurcht vor Gott – so genau wie moeglich auszuueben.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@daj23cam_jones @kreuzberged

Shouldn't it either say "if you will be" or "we would be ... if you were"?

The photo reminds me of phrases such as "we request he be told." But that's not the way the photo uses it.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@michaelerich5

Inwiefern geißeln sich Corona-Gegner? (Und meinen Sie nicht Lockdown-Gegner?)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BaileInis @Snusketeer @DavidDeutschOxf

Why are they incompatible?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection @tyrell_turing

All kidding aside, judging by the abstract, the paper cannot explain how thinking works in humans because it violates at least one, maybe both of the following razors:

blog.dennishackethal.com/2020/11/14/two…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@danilobzdok @Neuro_Skeptic @introspection @tyrell_turing

“How do humans not learn?”

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@daj23cam_jones @kreuzberged

Highly doubtful that whoever wrote that intended that or even knows what a subjunctive is.

It also doesn’t strike me as the correct use of the subjunctive, but I might be wrong about that.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DavidDeutschOxf:
No the very nature of science is conjectural and critical. Scientific truth can be discovered, but never established.…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SpeechUnion:
.@dominicfrisby's joke about Covid-19 at the Free Speech Union’s comedy special at Comedy Unleashed 🤣 https://t.co/g1WtRJY…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@paulg @levie

That, in a nutshell, is why epistemology underlies economics.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@kreuzberged

“If you be less shit.” Vielleicht würde man sie mit besserer Grammatik ernster nehmen, und dann würden sie gar keine “Aktivisten” mehr sein wollen?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@noncom_apostate

So, to be clear, he's not arguing against capitalism?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Marcella555 @SCCgov

Do you see the difference?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Marcella555 @SCCgov

I would be okay with there existing restaurants whose policy it is not to put gloves on when they make your sandwich. I would never go to such a restaurant—but again, that's a whole different thing from forcing restaurants to use gloves.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Marcella555 @SCCgov

"Give me a break." Can you please argue in good faith and with respect? You may be right, and I may be wrong—but let's get there.

I do put my seatbelt on. I also wear a mask. I do these things because I think they're good. I would not dream of forcing anyone else to do them.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@noncom_apostate

Phrases like "renounce limitless consumption" and "social equality" make it sound like the author is after something quite different from what I'm advocating. Sounds to me like he wants to trade one coercive institution for another.

Or does he?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Marcella555 @SCCgov

Making, as you put it, anyone do anything, against their will, is force, by definition.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@wuhgees @SCCgov

I disagree with what you're saying, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it, sir.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Marcella555 @SCCgov

"Make everyone..." Do you realize how nonchalantly you're advocating force against peaceful people?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @peppgrad:
@KevinKileyCA

https://t.co/STuMVqXsDP

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@amitcc @ReachChristofer @mgoldingmd @reasonisfun

I like to disambiguate:

Helping people when you want to and are able to: great.

Being forced to sacrifice your life/health/money for the "good" of others: evil.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SCCgov

You are evil. You are forcing businesses to close, and to sacrifice their income and livelihoods for the health of others. You are steamrolling over people's daily lives and routines and lifestyles—coercing them to what you think is right.

Shame on you.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

And just like that, Santa Clara County closed down gyms, movie theaters, restaurants... a death sentence to many businesses, which are being sacrificed for the health of others, which is altruism.

Do you see how evil altruism is? twitter.com/SCCgov/status/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Is she going to get her lifetime-achievement award soon? twitter.com/ClimateWarrior…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Great! Ditto.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

I'm the author btw if that wasn't clear yet.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

I don't think he did. The word "modern" doesn't appear in the article once. He speaks of metal and silicon, but the same argument could be used for computers made of chewing gum and vacuum tubes.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Oh sure, but the knowledge in that circuitry—the reason it does what it does, how it does it, why it does things this way and not that way, etc—is still software. I do understand where you're coming from, however—on a sufficiently low level, the distinction seems to blur a bit.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

An algorithm is software.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@MatMcGann

Sometimes I automate even if I only need to do something once, because sometimes we’re mistaken about never needing to do the same thing again, and even if so, we can still open-source the solution and save others the headache.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@MatMcGann

Great thread. I likewise err on the side of automation. Even if you only automate parts you still save time in the long run and understand your problem situation much better.

One reason why programming is such an essential skill to have in one’s life.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

It's difficult to discuss when a simple yes-or-no question isn't answered but followed by five tweets. Can you answer my original question with just a "yes" or "no"?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Not so. Knowing the parts of a computer and how they interact doesn't make one a programmer. Nor does one think about hardware all that much when programming.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@WilburJames8

Then may I suggest that by considering reintroducing a so-far refuted theory (in this case, Lamarckism), you may be heading down a blind alley. One would need to rescue Lamarckism first. Or, better yet, ignore it and build on top of Popper.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SpaceX:
Falcon 9 launches Crew Dragon on its first operational flight with astronauts on board, beginning regular crew flights to the @…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @TheAtlasSociety:
Save The World? More Like ENSLAVE The World! #Mencken #ShrinkGovernment https://t.co/KhkWmpF6Pm

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ToKTeacher @DavidDeutschOxf @_alanmartin_

“Evidencism”?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Did the author limit his definition of information processing to particular hardware made of certain materials only?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

What part of this notion of information processing is wrong, in your opinion?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Well, he (I) wants to say that software is abstract, but information processing always depends on a physical substrate, per David Deutsch.

Also there's the Deutschian idea that computation is when you use physical objects to represent abstract ones.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@WilburJames8

Don’t know what that means, but how would it refute existing refutations of Lamarckism?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Well, you can’t please everybody. twitter.com/PositivelyNot/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@BenWaldron96 @SpaceX

Don’t click on that folks, it’s an impersonator account, not really Musk. Presumably phishing. Reported.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@n_iccolo

Yeah, well, physically something happens in the brain since all information processing is physical. But yes, it’s the wrong level of emergence. Also, creativity works without sense data, so whatever that “maturing” is can’t depend on sense data...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Oh, and biases. Lots of talk about biases. Biases this, biases that. Did I mention biases? CogSci is a lot about those. And seemingly not a lot about how people learn to correct for them.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

I have no idea what you’re talking about.

What do you think the author means by “computation”?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@PositivelyNot @risksolutioncon

But you tag your tweet “#WhatGabage” (sic), so clearly you’re not interested in having your mind changed. Or are you?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

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