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

@VerbaTemere @dvassallo

1) Mostly yes

2) Yes

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@crit_rat

One way I think about narcissism is that the narcissist is unable to realize his fallibility. If there’s a mistake then everyone else must be wrong but no way it’s him. Which could be one measure of being too self-absorbed.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@crit_rat

Why is it a duty to help someone with a shared problem?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

More programming in strings? twitter.com/angular/status…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@JoeWolfcastle @dvassallo

I haven’t. In exchange I recommend The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch, which is partly about why genes aren’t all that powerful and why ideas are much more powerful (especially chapters 14 through 17).

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dvassallo

I was trying to say that our ability to adapt the world around is what makes us happy, and that sabotaging this ability by being more "natural" makes us unhappy.

If we're "wired", how do you explain condoms, celibacy, homosexuality, jumping out of airplanes, fasting, etc?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dvassallo

This isn't true because evo psych isn't true. People are creative: they can form new preferences and improve their environment. Nobody would be happy in our dirty, disease-ridden, foul-smelling, disgusting natural environment, and nobody was when we finally emerged from there.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@NeilShenvi

The beginning of infinity by David Deutsch

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@CerebralWisdom

That strikes as a surface-level purpose of schools. I think the deeper, primary purpose is to get children to systematically neglect their own preferences in favor of others’ preferences.

See blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/the-true…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Neuro_Skeptic

“They become more concerned with their reputation”

Clearly, but why? Here’s one explanation: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/the-true…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @TitaniaMcGrath:
Teachers who refer to “boys” or “girls” are attempting to radicalise a new generation of bigots. This must stop NOW.

I…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

“If imposed, it would be the first time it has been made a crime for an Australian to enter their own country.” twitter.com/nomadcapitalis…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @CodeWisdom:
"Programming is not about typing, it's about thinking." - Rich Hickey

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Neuro_Skeptic

If there were any evidence for it, would that make it better as an explanation for whatever it purports to explain?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Neuro_Skeptic

Say more about why it’s bad neuroscience?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ANothlich

Quelle?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TobyJIB @ella_hoeppner

Yes. I expect much of Popperian epistemology to live on in the first theory of AGI as an approximation.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TobyJIB @ella_hoeppner

Isn't that a bit like saying dogs were already evolving when there were only wolves?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Better safe than sorry! Unless you want people to DIE twitter.com/TheBabylonBee/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@_Islamicat

Ginger cat is hunt ginger fish. Meowshalla

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@brbascript

Saul: "It's his stomach. Now, where were we..."
Skyler: "Professionalism."

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

In my new blog post, "Objectivism vs. the Myth of the Framework", I explain why Ayn Rand made a mistake identified by Karl Popper, and why her ideal society would be an unstable one that would evolve into anarchy (a conclusion she would not have liked!).

blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/objectiv…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

“If you make this one mistake you should also make this other mistake.” twitter.com/Chesschick01/s…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @paulg:
@rabois

Except in the very highest bracket there's also a surcharge in the form of house arrest.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

But you didn't show that your problems with game theory can help you solve collective action problems.

I don't think problems can be solutions.

Meanwhile, your country just got over-run, because you were unable to field an army to defend it.

voluntary, non tax-funded army

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

To address something more specific again:

The optimal outcome for you is that everyone else pays their taxes, and you don’t. This is true for everyone.

Can you think of a specific circumstance where that isn't true for everyone?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

You feel wrong. In my first tweet I answered your questions. Then I added more information about what’s wrong with game theory generally in my second tweet.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

If the paper is intended to be read physicists

I've argued that it isn't (only).

Also, Papers directed at peers can still be obscurantist. Cf. Feynman's example at blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/analyzin…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@B_Vanderhaegen

LOL yea. Malice solved this by immediately dropping the term "anarchy" in favor of Brook's preferred term "voluntarism" and its definition. Very Popperian. Didn't work anyway, showing that Brook's move was just defensive and Malice's usage of terms wasn't wrong.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

Maybe. He can address physicists specifically in addition to a general audience, that doesn’t really change my argument because he still gets to impress laymen anyway.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

One need not present specific solutions to every problem in question for the claim that problems are soluble to be valid.

But generally speaking, people persuade each other all the time. They make arguments, point out contradictions, offer better alternatives, etc.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Game theory also assumes a fixed set of choices and outcomes. But as I’ve said, people are creative: they can create new outcomes and new avenues to achieve them.

Game theory fundamentally views people as automata mechanically making decisions. Which is gross (and false).

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

People’s choices aren’t fixed to what some economists think their Rational Choice should be. You can convince people that, say, free riding is wrong and then fewer of them will do it.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

So considering this and also keeping in mind how obscurely he talks on his show all the time, also to a general audience, I find that overwhelming evidence that his paper is meant to obscure.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

Well, it’s like I write in the comment I linked. To elaborate: he explicitly distances himself from academia, then refers to his paper as a work of entertainment. I don’t think that means there are inside jokes, but that it’s meant for a broad audience, like ~all entertainment.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

Yes, I agree that that falls under obscurantism. And that maybe he’s not doing it deliberately. But I’m guessing you underestimate how prevalent obscurantism is in academia, even when subject-matter experts address each other.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Yes, the American government still employs much coercion, unfortunately. But in time, the amount of coercion can be reduced by creating more knowledge.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@girlie_mac

However, if there's a diffing tool I don't know about that can diff words, not just lines, and visually accommodate this without messing up the flow of the writing, then it could work great.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@girlie_mac

Sadly, using git for writing doesn't work well because lines get much, much longer than in code (every paragraph is a single line), which obscures the diffs.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

But in principle, that problem is also soluble without coercion, like all problems. The US has solved it, for example. Other countries haven't.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

If a society doesn't know how to defend itself without coercing its members, it can be argued that a draft is better than death.

But the example is a bit flawed because the evil situation the society and its members are put in is caused by foreign coercion in the first place.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@FallingIntoFilm @tomhyde_

Yes. And it is written for the general public, as Weinstein points out himself. See blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/a-compre…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@__adamjohnson_

It is written for the general public. See blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/a-compre…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

To clarify, yes coercion is worse, no you don't just live with it. You find other ways of dealing with it that are better than the status quo.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

For aggressive coercion: no. Problems are soluble. Create new outcomes and solutions and try more persuasion.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Brook should have conceded the point. He made a conjectured, Malice immediately offered a refutation. Malice was right and Brook knew it. But I'm guessing Brook feels he has too much riding on looking in the right to people—apparently more than he has riding on pursuing truth.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Later, Brook (paraphrase): "Anarchy can't work because the guy with the biggest gun always wins."
Malice (paraphrase): "Then how come we didn't win in Vietnam?"
Brook, stuttering: "Well, you're taking things out of context."

Disappointing performance by Brook.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Brook: “The only way to achieve a better world is through government.”

That could have been said by a communist.

youtube.com/watch?v=Pl3x4G…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Dunno why you put persuasion in quotes, but the answer is "no". Persuasion can always work, but there is no guarantee that it will.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Paul_B2000 @_Islamicat

Is haram

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@_Islamicat @AnnSummers

Is doing god's work this ginger brother.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
24/x
Danke Kathrin Osterode 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/TK…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
20/x
Danke Karoline Teska 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/qpWq…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
19/x
Danke Inka Friedrich 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/5AT…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
17/x
Danke Claudia Rippe 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/fkQRn…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
16/x
Danke Christine Sommer 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/3…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
13/x
Danke Cem Ali Gültekin 🙏
#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/nTY…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
10/x
Danke Felix Klare 🙏

#allesdichtmachen #niewiederaufmachen #lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/6xfFB8…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @DaFeid:
12/x
Danke Pasquale Aleardi 🙏

#allesdichtmachen
#niewiederaufmachen
#lockdownfürimmer

allesdichtmachen.de https://t.co/BP…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @dchackethal:
@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Problems arise when too many group members choose to pursue individual profit

LOL those pesky…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Persuasion is always possible. And even if it weren’t, that wouldn’t explain why coercion would be morally okay. Nor is it okay when one fails to persuade.

One has two options, really: persuade others or leave them alone.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

That’s presupposing that one knows what’s best for others. Which is highly problematic.

When one fails to persuade, it needn’t be because the other person is being irrational or something. It can also be because one sucks at persuading.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

Problems arise when too many group members choose to pursue individual profit

LOL those pesky group members never going with the program!

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

I recall that article. Maybe we have spoken before. The strings "persua" and "convinc" appear 0 times in the article, so I'm guessing the article doesn't address what I was saying, nor does it refute the notion that persuasion can solve problems. Or does it?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ewarren

At whose expense and with whose consent?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

To be clear, you don't think persuasion works because it can lead to free-riding? Or you're attributing that problem to taxation?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

You wrote: "Perhaps you missed the part about ending a pandemic." That sounds to me like you think I don't want the pandemic solved.

Do you think taxes/force are the only way to solve the pandemic, or do you think persuading people could work?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

That doesn’t imply that I don’t want the pandemic solved.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Evolving_Ego @ashishkjha

What did I say that led you to think I didn’t know ending the pandemic would be desirable?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@TripThomasGames @MarsCuriosity

Doubtful it would be that far. I'm guessing it's the much closer faint pixel, at around 5 o'clock.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Beautiful picture, but ironic that the very technology that leads the way to escaping from this cruel rock one day spreads memes to forever preserve that rock. It claims we're all "connected by earth", although its very presence on Mars is evidence of the opposite. twitter.com/MarsCuriosity/…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@ashishkjha

Who’s “we”?

If you’re allowed to purchase large quantities of the vaccine, do so, then donate them.

But I have the impression that you’re not. Meaning the government would need to do it. Meaning everyone would have to pay for it, even against their will.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AfJyag @disclosetv

Where taxes are lower. @nomadcapitalist would know better.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@disclosetv

Great way to cause people to leave.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Before asking “how can we”, shouldn’t we ask “should we”? twitter.com/royalsociety/s…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@AnnikaJoeres @M_Hundhausen @HolzheuStefan

Aus Ihren Tweets wird nicht klar, ob die Zahlen nun 36 Dezibel zu hoch oder zu niedrig sind. Nur anhand der Bemerkung, dass es Gegnern in die Hände gespielt hat, kann man erahnen, dass sie 36 zu hoch waren.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Kaiwingchun

Correct, but we need an explanation to say either way.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@mgechev

I thought number inputs don’t even let you type values that are outside the specified range?

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @Replit:
This is the most creative personal website I've ever seen 😍

It injects CSS into the page as it's written: https://t.co/WgS99uC…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@Kaiwingchun

Ok but within those constraints there could still be infinitely many ways.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Why couldn’t there be infinitely many ways to make an eye? twitter.com/RichardDawkins…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Holding past generations' mistakes against current generations. A nasty result of collectivism. twitter.com/ElefentJames/s…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@webdevMason

In other words, there's a problem we don't yet know how to solve. Is that really an argument against libertarianism?

Related: blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/libertar…

and blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/libertar…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Mir ist gerade aufgefallen, dass "zusammenschreiben" und "getrennt schreiben" beide auf sich selbst zutreffen. Sie sind also homolog. Eine schoene Eigenschaft der deutschen Sprache!

#rechtschreibung #deutsch

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

The second-handedness level is over 9000. twitter.com/lillianyoung/s…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @dchackethal:
@angela4LNCChair

Would it have mattered if public opinion on lockdowns had been overwhelmingly negative? Would Newsom have…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@angela4LNCChair

Would it have mattered if public opinion on lockdowns had been overwhelmingly negative? Would Newsom have cared?

Same logic as when parents impose screen times against their children's will: "They don't know what's best for them, I do."

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@_jayphelps @Iterator

Very handy for sending form fields over a socket or ajax.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@_jayphelps @Iterator

IIRC you can also use it to turn FormData into an object.

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

Note the official-sounding, proper language they're using to normalize this stuff. Also note their facial expressions of regret here and there, as if to say that they're so sorry to do this, but it's for 'the right reasons.' They're committing evil with good intentions. twitter.com/ComicDaveSmith…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@brbascript

"Woah, you're a chatty Kathy today."

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

RT @MrAndyNgo:
He was white, so no need to riot.

The @Oregonian, Portland’s paper of record. archive.is/2021.04.16-194… https://t.co/7PTOxMom…

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

@dchackethal · · Show · Open on Twitter

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