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

RT @ClimateWarrior7:
Cutting Black women and Latinas out of the labour force seems kind of racist to be honest. https://t.co/OAMa4sO6dF

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@brbascript

There was an attempt on Pinochet’s life in 1986. Just saying…

Hope we will learn more about Gus in the upcoming season of Better Call Saul.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

We can't predict what new qualia will feel like. Is this a special case of the unpredictability of new knowledge?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Not someone else's cloud, but my cloud, hell yes. Death and diseases: solved ✅ twitter.com/gptbrooke/stat…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@2AWisdom

They have been for over a year.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @StuartHumphryes:
London 1944 - this is Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park, during the midst of War. All original colour. https://t.co/6TlhJI6s…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Ban constipation! twitter.com/2AWisdom/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@codybaldwin

IIRC from BoI, every fiction that doesn't violate the laws of physics is fact somewhere. So there is at least one universe (or history?) in which Hitler was killed. (Maybe multiple. Maybe infinitely many? Maybe uncountably infinitely many?)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

"True controversial ideas": blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/true-con…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@rsg @paulg

Not if non-successful people have haters too...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @GregAbbott_TX:
TX is prohibiting mask mandates by gov’t entities.

Starting May 21, local govts attempting to impose mask mandates can…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Ah – when I say "evolution programmed creativity in us" I don't mean that evolution did that intentionally. The programming is instead a result of mindless natural variation and selection.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Why didn’t it program it in us?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

“Chinese state employees physically manage the computers.” Yikes twitter.com/OrinKerr/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

It’s like I say in the article: programming creativity must be possible, otherwise evolution couldn’t have programmed it in us.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Some people think computers can’t be creative but that’s because they don’t understand computational universality.

I think computers can be creative, conscious, have free will, etc. and I’m trying to figure out how to program that.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Yes.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

I interpreted "But fire that mean that their" to mean "But that doesn't mean that their" but I may be wrong about that...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Such judges may erroneously come to the conclusion that a program is creative because they're using behavioristic criteria, yes. But an automaton that looks creative still isn't creative.

And just because behavioristic criteria are invalid doesn't mean I ended the debate by fiat

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

But you seem a bit annoyed with what I'm writing ("so what", "that's kind of the point") and it sounds like your mind is made up anyway, so...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

I think fun and creativity are intimately related, so much so that creativity is a necessary condition for having fun. It follows that if alpha zero isn't having fun it's not creative. It was meant as a refutation of your view that alpha zero is creative.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ewarren

This is so misleading. A few percent of billions is much more than a higher percentage of thousands.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Does the number of people disagreeing with a claim influence whether that claim is true?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Right on. They're all physical (and therefore deterministic).

And this reminds me: since computations are physical processes (Deutsch), and all physical processes are deterministic, all computations must be deterministic.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Indeed. He makes a good case for it. :)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Again, by no means an expert on quantum physics, but from what I've learned from David Deutsch's "The Beginning of Infinity" it would seem that quantum physics is likewise deterministic. Some things look random only from our parochial, single-universe perspective.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

OK but what generates the "random" noise? Is it not light?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@eggheadio

By being a user of the product I'm building.

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@TheAtlasSociety

And that purpose can be fulfilled by private corporations too...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

These examples seem to me quasi indeterministic and quasi unpredictable for practical purposes. As in, overwhelmingly much information would be needed to predict the next state. That works fine for some applications, but it's different from being unpredictable in principle.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Re pseudorandom number generators: they're just that—pseudo.

Using photos for that is a cool idea but how light bumps off of objects and enters the phone's camera is deterministic, too...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

A place full of cats sounds great, but I think when cats meow is deterministic, too, and so is a collection of cats meowing. Cats have an algorithm in their brains that instructs them to meow when certain conditions are met and that algorithm is deterministic like all others.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

I don't doubt that they play to win, especially elite players, but people can and often do play for fun, which is something alpha zero cannot do.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dvassallo

You shouldn't have to pay either one.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

Alpha Zero plays mindlessly. Human chess players do not. They have insights, feelings, interests, etc while they play. And, as David Deutsch has pointed out, they play for fun, and not always to win. Alpha Zero always plays to win. I don't think it can do otherwise.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@jchalupa_

And yes, my understanding is that quantum computers are vastly faster for some (but not all) algorithms compared to a classical computer. And I think for all other algorithms quantum computers are always at least as fast as classical ones since qcs can simulate ccs.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

I don't know what "cattery noise" is, but the other sources I don't think are random...

There's one source of unpredictability (but not randomness) I can think of: the user. But we can't depend on users when building creativity. :)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@jchalupa_

You're right that there is quantum computation, but I think it also follows the prevailing conception. (I'm no expert on quantum computation by any means, so big grain of salt here.)

This is important so I'll add a comment under my post for clarification.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @dvassallo:
Today the US government will wrap up collecting almost 4 trillion USD in taxes. And if you don’t pay, someone with a gun wil…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

Why do you think those are not predictable? Is it the introduction of a random-number generator?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AskRamiRustom

Apart from the fact that text strings are easier to remember than numbers, every position in a text string can hold more information than a number (23 instead of 10). So while short strings are possibly gibberish at least some people will have short ones that are meaningful.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AskRamiRustom

Then how come we don't see that happening with web domains, emails, user handles etc? If "peter" is taken someone'll take something like "peterinsanfrancisco" instead. Which is still easier to remember than a phone number.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@jchalupa_

I did point out that there may be other modes of programming and more to computational universality than we currently know.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@jchalupa_

Mindless automation, not abstraction, but yes.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@petegrif

I have read about alpha zero. It plays differently from how humans would play.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Tomi_Tapio

To be clear, I am aware of "AIs" generating art, which could be considered "creative" in some artistic sense. But they do it mindlessly.

"Creativity" in the epistemological (Popperian) sense I use is what the mind is. And it's kinda orthogonal to art.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Why isn't there something like DNS for phone numbers yet? So instead of calling "415-555-1234" you could call "peter"?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ks445599

So it seems like there are at least two sub-categories within the indeterministic category: probabilistic and creative.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ks445599

Nice, yes, it can't imply that, since creativity isn't probabilistic either. One can't assign a probability to the discovery X being made tomorrow because one can't even say what X is yet.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ClimateWarrior7

She identifies as a male dog.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Creativity is unpredictable in principle. Computer programs, on the other hand, are deterministic and predictable. So how could creativity possibly be programmed?

I answer this question in my new blog post: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/two-gues…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @gleason_colum:
Of all the terror organizations—from ISIS to Boko Haram—none have built brand equity faster than Hamas and Palestinian I…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SpaceX:
Deployment of 52 Starlink satellites confirmed https://t.co/QqPbBl9gBz

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Shouldn't it say "because of lower gun ownership"? twitter.com/2AWisdom/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

How do lockdown supporters explain this? How do they explain that the world hasn't exploded yet even though Texas is open? twitter.com/GregAbbott_TX/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

OK but "I will force you if I can't persuade you" isn't very persuasive...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

It's not pessimistic because I don't prophesy that he will kill himself no matter what. It's optimistic because I'm saying that persuasion can change his mind.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @ClimateWarrior7:
We need more visionary leaders with ruthless iron will who are ready to hold these people down and inject them forcibl…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

Also, there are two ways to achieve someone not killing themselves: force or persuasion. Why just discount persuasion in favor of force? Force isn’t the only way.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

Yes, we should, eventually. Forcing someone to live who doesn’t want to live sounds evil. We shouldn’t go around forcing unsolicited help on people. That’s a recipe for tyranny.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@JonNichEdwards @DavidDeutschOxf @alex_sukhovey @iamFilos @ernsterlanson

So, by implication, advertising "junk foods" is evil?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

But if he's stopped arbitrarily he can never test his technology. Maybe it turns out safely swimming in a mercury lake is incredibly fun. We can be wrong about things.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

He may have really good reasons to do it but just doesn't feel like explaining himself to you. Maybe he's developed a piece of clothing that protects him and he wants to try it out. But he also wants to keep his technology a secret for now. So he won't tell you.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

It's like I said: urge him not to do it. Explain the consequences. If he still wants to do it let him do it. If he wants to ruin his life let him.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@JonNichEdwards @DavidDeutschOxf @alex_sukhovey @iamFilos @ernsterlanson

What connection do you see between serial killers and advertisers?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @rickhanlonii:
cdc says we can stop sanitizing html

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@rejectnation @OnePerfectShot @MouthDork

The guy looks a bit like Walter White. Which makes me think they should make an animated spin-off of Breaking Bad.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @jordanbpeterson:
How can this possibly not be in violation of Canadian Human Rights laws? And if not how can those laws be worth the p…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@paulg

Or maybe playing the long game is necessary for success but not sufficient. (But it doesn't strike me as necessary either.)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@paulg

"all the successful founders are playing the long game" doesn't mean there can't be arbitrarily many founders who play the long game but aren't successful. So we don't really know if playing the long game makes you a successful founder, which you seem to imply.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @popper1902:
New Popper video 🥳

youtube.com/watch?v=ALlCLJ…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @firstofequals:
The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do.

The choice is yours.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@rafrasenberg

Just make all variables global.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@denicmarko

You may want to call it "opacity" not "transparency" since a value of 0 makes it completely transparent and 1 completely opaque.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf @SamHarrisOrg

In any case, I don't want to speak for others, these are just my two cents/a reflection of what I understood things to mean. :)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf @SamHarrisOrg

By implication—this is just my interpretation, I could well be wrong of course—this means that science should not be the only factor in human decision-making, and when it is, that means other factors are blocked arbitrarily, and that's not good.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf @SamHarrisOrg

So Ernst offered an explanation for why the term "obesity" might be scientism, with which David agreed ("yes") and expanded that making moral choices and talking about them are human rights.

twitter.com/DavidDeutschOx…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf @SamHarrisOrg

For the "yes" to refer to a tweet, that tweet must have come before the "yes". The "yes" was a response to this question from Ernst: twitter.com/ernsterlanson/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SeekingApatheia @MagnetThatcher @krlwlzn @petegrif @iamFilos @DavidDeutschOxf

Can you summarize the crit-rat libertarian position in such a way that they would happily sign off on it?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf

Did you click on the tweet I linked to expand that thread and see what his “yes” refers to?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@MagnetThatcher @petegrif @iamFilos @krlwlzn @DavidDeutschOxf

Why don't libertarians do the work of criticising coercive advertising […]

Probably because we don’t think advertising is coercive. (Whereas banning advertising is.)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@iamFilos @alex_sukhovey @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

Many reasons. One is that it’s not for us to say how others should live their lives.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CausalCulture @Pandurevich @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

Re mercury lake: Yes I think that would be coercion. You can explain the dangers and strongly urge him not to do it. But whether he does it is still up to him, and preventing him from doing so against his will is coercion.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@alex_sukhovey @DavidDeutschOxf @ernsterlanson

It doesn’t mean we should ban them, either.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ChrisGuk1 @DavidDeutschOxf

The term “obesity” is a signal of scientism, not obesity itself. David explains why in the tweet below. Basically what to eat and what to talk about are moral decisions, not scientific ones, and letting science steamroll over morals is a symptom of scientism. twitter.com/DavidDeutschOx…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@iamFilos @krlwlzn @petegrif @DavidDeutschOxf

The “as in” does not seem to describe scientism but seems to be meant to.

Also, I suppose the question is how we jump from “these foods are bad for you” to “let’s ban advertisement of these foods”. There’s a logical and moral gap there.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@strangetruther @bnielson01

I think you’d like Deutsch’s work. He says if you can’t program it you haven’t understood it. (And I think to understand something is to program it, if only mentally.) Since they can’t program it (that would have made the news by now!) their claim that they explain it is false.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@strangetruther @bnielson01

I meant David Deutsch. I have no opinion on whether Daniel Dennett is a clear thinker.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@bnielson01 @strangetruther

Ah! I see my mistake.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@strangetruther @bnielson01

You’re clever enough. When an author is hard to understand, that’s on the author, not you.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@strangetruther @bnielson01

Curious why you find it difficult? He's one of the clearest thinkers I can think of.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @MarkBFadel:
https://t.co/7QorlqLdi3

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@brbascript

It probably was.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Frank34807286 @nachoiacovino

Great, do that.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @SenatorBrakey:
Joe Biden says 22 million Americans lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

That's not accurate.

22 million Americans los…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
German Federal Medical Association

"Families with children can only regain equal participation in society with vaccinated chil…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

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