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 @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

@PositivelyNot @risksolutioncon

Taking away human agency is very much a crime against humanity because agency is one of the core things that make people, people.

I am told that the WHO recommended governments do this. The main fault lies with China, however.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@PositivelyNot @risksolutioncon

The crime of putting people under house arrest, taking away their ability to make independent decisions, shutting down their businesses, forcing them to lose their livelihoods, driving them to despair and suicide... need I go on?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@lolo16268 @ks445599

Sounds reductionist. Does what you have in mind survive these two razors? blog.dennishackethal.com/2020/11/14/two…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@miezltje @SpaceX

Planets aren't sentient beings who care about their state. Nor does the universe care about that. If we can travel to a new planet and change it to our advantage, that's a good thing.

We should reach for the stars—not cower here on Earth until a meteor strikes.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@EdtheSock @NickHudsonCT

Has it occurred to you that arguments like "fighting poverty and environmental degradation" are pretty slogans governments use to push through potentially abhorrent agendas because it is not socially permissible to criticize such slogans?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@thereelsaltydog @SpaceX

I have heard theories along those lines, albeit more of an accidental nature (foreign bodies carrying "seeds" crashing into earth).

Now, as a theory of the origin of life, that just kicks the can down the road, of course.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

It appears Michigan is locking down again. So is Austria. I'm sure other countries are, too.

What does it tell you about govt, "checks and balances," etc, when govt has enough power to close businesses and restrict movement? Should anyone have that kind of power?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AxcidentalTweet @SpaceX

Depends, how attractive are we talking, and is the alien clean?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SpaceX

Once it's in the air, the bright part looks a bit like a sperm, with its oscillating tail and big head.

Since one day this technology will bring humans to other planets, perhaps we are literally going to inseminate those planets with new life.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Creativity—the true of source of most of a mind's knowledge, imo, including perception and language processing—seems completely underrated and underrepresented in the field.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

There seems to be little to no mention of how the mind creates those algorithms in the first place. It seems to be assumed that the mind inherits them (evo psych), or that information processing causes a physical maturing of the brain which endows the mind with abilities.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Spoke to a cognitive scientist the other day. From that conversation, CogSci seems to be a lot about studying algorithms that are present in a mind, such as perception and language processing, and about how they store and process information in the brain.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SpaceX @Astro_illini @AstroVicGlover @NASA @JAXA_en

Those suits look so cool.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DKedmey

Didn’t read the whole thing, but it sounds like farmers are legally barred from shooting crows that are attacking their lambs. Seems to me that law should be repealed.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @ClimateWarrior7:
Climate lockdowns! Yesss!

Also the population should be reduced via mandatory queering.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @ClimateWarrior7:
White women are a problem that just doesn't go away.

I believe the solution lies in mandatory arranged marriages with…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Onne is here to reinforce his notion of children as "barbarians" who need to be coerced. Of course, Onne could easily prove me wrong by presenting an argument that would change his mind about children.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

If the claim had instead been that of regularly dragging adults around and putting them in timeouts, or other people's children, I assume that would have been a lot more worrisome to some. That tells us something about society's image of what is okay for parents to do.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

It also speaks volumes that Onne's actions were defended by claiming, in effect, that they're (in reality only somewhat) socially acceptable and therefore they're morally acceptable. They're not.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

I think it speaks volumes that the guy who calls him out clearly and directly for this (again, open to being wrong) pays much more social penalty than the guy who openly despises and advocates violence against children.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

He's made it very clear that he hates children. He has called them "insane" and "ignorant barbarians," said dealing with them requires force.

twitter.com/onnlucky/statu…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

I am unclear about Onne's motivation in this discussion, however. Several points of his have been refuted, but then he dodges and shifts the conversation to something else. I don't think he has refuted anything I originally wrote, which would have been good.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

If by "the only means of stopping it" you mean discussion, it doesn't seem to have been ruined, because Onne continues to discuss, which is great. To be clear, I am open to the idea that my approach is wrong.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

What I was trying to say is that expecting good-faith discussion while at the same time engaging in name calling is rather hypocritical. You seem to be defending that attitude.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@WilburJames8

Please submit your comments by successively commenting on each of your subcomments—not by submitting every comment to the original tweet. Much easier to read that way.

Have you refuted refutations of Lamarckism?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@kreuzberged @doberah

What's wrong with them?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@SebastianRuff @kreuzberged

Tolles Bild. GsD ist der Wahnsinn vorbei.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@roderickgraham

How would you pay for these things? How would you take bad actors into account?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ThomasMetzinger

Unclear, intimidating language makes it harder to receive criticism and, therefore, to improve.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

newspunch.com/lawyers-prepar…

"An international group of lawyers is preparing a lawsuit against the World Health Organization for “crimes against humanity” over the draconian COVID-19 lockdowns worldwide."

Good. Crimes against humanity have consequences.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TheOtherMarcus

(I said "government" but you can substitute that with "school" and the argument works the same.)

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TheOtherMarcus

The "trick" is to identify the vital functions it has taken over, and leave those at first, while replacing the non-vital functions pretty quickly.

Then you can start replacing the vital functions slowly. The parasite will resist along the way, but it should be possible somehow.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TheOtherMarcus

I am a gradualist, too. I don't know yet what I'd want to change first. I have likened government to a parasite that has infested its host to a degree that is has taken over vital functions. Ripping out the parasite all at once would kill the host.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ehsaanehmad

Dunno what this adds?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Musk isn't right about everything. But he's said a lot of good things about the virus and lockdowns.

humansarefree.com/2020/11/elon-m…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@MichaelPSenger

Love the title "the butcher of Xinjiang."

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @sama:
The faker the job, the more credentials matter.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ks445599 @onnlucky @tjaulow

By the way, these are my views only, not necessarily those of TCS. I’m only speaking for myself here.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @ks445599 @onnlucky

What do you mean?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CancerRideOct @NickHudsonCT

It's inside the embedded tweet.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

You are still misrepresenting my claim.

What I was really getting at is that actions by others (e. g. child abuse) should be judged independently of whether they're socially sanctioned. Child abuse is abhorrent even if >90% of people think it's okay.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

Acknowledged. And yes, the real irony in all this is that I'm being doubly, triply called out, which all serves to defend the child abuser...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DoqxaScott @tjaulow @ks445599 @onnlucky

There is no point in discussing with somebody who admits to discussing for the purpose of laying into you but expects good faith in return.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

I don't understand this tweet. Can you rephrase please?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

You condemned cancel culture (correctly, imo). You say limiting to calling out would have been fine. Two sentences later you effectively claim equivalence of calling out and cancel culture (that's what I take "no better" to mean).

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

In other words, what you call out is based on cultural sanction, not moral explanations of what you know to be right and wrong?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DoqxaScott @tjaulow @ks445599 @onnlucky

Martin liked your "hit" comment. I'm afraid I don't believe anymore that you two are looking to have an ongoing argument in good faith. Is your main intent to lay into the guy who broke a social convention?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DoqxaScott @tjaulow @ks445599 @onnlucky

You wrote that my calling out Onne was "not conducive to ongoing argument in good faith." twitter.com/DoqxaScott/sta…

Now you refer to it as a "hit"—an inside joke with Martin, of sorts, at my expense.

There was also twitter.com/DoqxaScott/sta…

How is any of this conducive?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

Before we get to the video: "I have a pretty clear image" meaning you know the contradiction in your previous tweet? If so, what is it?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

Your criticism makes sense—convincing Onne that it is abuse is important.

I'm curious how you would answer the questions in my previous tweet?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

Your comment is self-contradictory. Do you know what I'm referring to?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

I never said I reported him, no. Read what I wrote carefully.

What bearing does the fact that this "practice" is recommended by parenting authorities have on the morals of the situation?

Why does the guy who points out the abuse receive more criticism than the perpetrator?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DoqxaScott @tjaulow @onnlucky @ks445599

I understand. But hear me out, please: Somebody publicly admits to abusing his child, then somebody else clearly and directly calls him out.

Nobody criticizes the abuser in response, everyone lays into the other guy. Which is worse? And whom are social conventions protecting?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

I continue to discuss with you guys. I haven't discouraged you from discussing with Onne either...

see also twitter.com/dchackethal/st…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky @ks445599

Cancel culture is when prominent figures lose their job over something they said. That's not what this is.

cf. dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@DoqxaScott @onnlucky @tjaulow @ks445599

"Unprepared to argue for" I have argued quite a bit in this thread, no? And I continue to do so:

twitter.com/dchackethal/st…

Nobody has offered a refutation of my views yet, yet I keep asking...

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

How can you quickly evaluate theories of the mind without having to read page after page of academic jargon?

Use these two handy razors: blog.dennishackethal.com/2020/11/14/two…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@onnlucky @tjaulow @ks445599

There is no irony here. A worldview that condemns the use of force against peaceful people (such as your child) is perfectly compatible with one that advocates the use of force against violent people (such as yourself).

You have mistaken libertarianism for pacifism.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Learned a lot from @NickHudsonCT of @PanData19 this episode. We cover what is known about the virus and the disastrous effects of bad political philosophy & lockdowns on people and businesses—and the surprisingly deep answer to whether masks work. 😷🦠🔬

soundcloud.com/dchacke/19-vir…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

*math

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@tjaulow @DoqxaScott @onnlucky

If so: for as long as they like.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

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