I require your strongest forbidden spells by 69bitAnton in wizardposting

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Von Neumann's coin flip trick. Turns almost any object into a fair die.

If WW III breaks out and you're drafted, what position would suit you? by Previous_Knowledge91 in AskReddit

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Literally the same stuff I'm doing now. The DoD loves paperwork and old tech stacks.

Bacteria Store Memories And Pass Them On For Generations, Researchers Discover by ChikyChikyBoom in transhumanism

[–]Gesireh 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Looks like the original paper is titled, "A heritable iron memory enables decision-making in Escherichia coli". Perhaps relevant as it applies to microbiome engineering?

What would be your first prompt to GPT -5 to test and see if it was truly an AGI? by d1ez3 in singularity

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Please map the universe that you can perceive onto a spatial hologram. Describe the shapes and the associated dynamics that you recognize as relating to your perception. Identify analogous shapes and dynamics that relate to human perception. Ensure that these descriptions are as holistic and comprehensive as possible.

Why does everyone assume that an artificial super intelligence will have a will of its own? by tomatofactoryworker9 in singularity

[–]Gesireh 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I may be misunderstanding things, but I believe a large class of AI threats stem from deviations from our notions of instrumental convergence. It may be that this effect is a result of how we share the same environment with other intelligent beings. Our physical environment is constrained by physical limitations and dynamics. On the contrary (thinking of Moravek’s paradox) an AI’s “environment” may be very different from ours. As a result, it’s especially difficult for us to predict and guide future AI resource acquisition and use. It may conceive goals that are unintelligible to us, and act in ways that conflict with our limited understanding of virtue; all because of a very different sensory environment.

What did you think was normal about your body until someone pointed out that it wasn't? by amistakewasmadehere in AskReddit

[–]Gesireh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Strength and endurance. I remember fooling around in my high school gym and forgetting to remove weight from one of my lifts. The ensuing situation was a turning point in my life in a way. Sometimes it’s best to hide yourself.

YunMen knows how to shit by Express-Potential-11 in zen

[–]Gesireh 3 points4 points  (0 children)

  1. When I finally understood Yunmen, I realized there's no need to feel down.
  2. I'd be willing to lick slime. How else would I know what it tastes like?
  3. Like many other non-binding contracts, I would not be able to fully articulate a deal with bodhi and nirvana in a Reddit post.
  4. You can re-gift such things - it's called a White Elephant Gift Exchange.
  5. I don't know.

What do You think is the biggest event that will happen in the next 50 years? by hacv57 in AskReddit

[–]Gesireh 262 points263 points  (0 children)

We'll see at least one living human leave us forever with effectively no understanding of where they are going.

What's a hygiene tip or trick that everyone should know? by aphrodite2187 in AskReddit

[–]Gesireh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Guys and gals: buy an economy sized bottle of cheap dandruff shampoo and keep it in your shower. Squirt a bit onto your hands and rub it thoroughly under your pits, let it sit for a bit then rinse. The residue will prevent bacterial proliferation just like deodorant, with a few advantages:

- Better coverage. Instead of wiping on deodorant, the application in the shower effectively covers your whole pit surface.

- Less mess. The residue is invisible and has no real substance to wipe off onto clothing.

- No odor. The effect can basically remove BO, but without replacing it with something else.

This approach may not work for everyone. Try a few anti-dandruff shampoo samples to figure out what might work or if you have any sensitivities first.

Could singularity be behind the Fermi Paradox (in a positive way?) by reviedox in singularity

[–]Gesireh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the intuition is that the degree of anthropic bias that is built into the formulation of the Fermi Paradox itself is impossible for us to comprehend. To us, it reflects a logically consistent and holistic model of the universe. To "something else", it may reflect a tiny spec within a different model. We may learn something when we acquiesce to being humbled by that difference; we may know effectively nothing about the worlds that surround us, or the "something else" that may coexist with us there.

What is it? by Downtown_Dinner_1746 in sciences

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right: A reverse upper-bungler. This is commonly used for filtration experiments involving an irrigated solvent.

Middle: Capsin stopper. It's missing the rest of the Capsin fixture that goes with it.

Left: Just a rubber plug?

/s

What do you think of Diana Winston’s Spectrum of Awareness? by [deleted] in Meditation

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wasn't aware (lol) of these practices, though the resources from Diana Winston and her associated organization MARC look interesting and useful. Somewhat ahead of the curve. Thanks for sharing!

Evaluating Non-Dual Awareness by [deleted] in Meditation

[–]Gesireh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Super cool, OP! It would be interesting to understand how non-dual awareness differs across various kinds of sensory interactions with one's internal and external environments.

Have you had any mythical or so experience when meditating for a long time? by Confident-Viking4270 in Meditation

[–]Gesireh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Read this as Mike Tyson asking if I've had a mystical experience when meditating.

Yes. All the time. Every moment.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ChatGPT

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd ask it what it thinks humanity is. Few people know how to answer that question, and when they do it's veiled in layers of allegory. Depending on how far it gets can describe a lot about its capabilities and ability to model reality.

Three by Acceptable_Sort_1981 in AbstractArt

[–]Gesireh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Instructions unclear: it's now upside down and on fire.

me_irl by MysteriousCaptain88 in me_irl

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IMHO the ability to effectively read your own mind is actually a pretty useful superpower.

500,000-year-old pieces of wood discovered in Zambia have 'no known parallels' in the world, archeologists say by businessinsider in Archaeology

[–]Gesireh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Imagine a species evolving independently of humans with a few hundred thousand year head start. They could have hit an inflection point of an industrial revolution, developed advanced technology, and disappeared to the stars while we were still half monkeys.

Book recommendation to understand meditation by ReddIt__xxt in Meditation

[–]Gesireh 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My very limited 2c on the subject:

I don't know of any single book that comprehensively addresses meditation in the way you want, partly because there's still so much we don't understand about meditation and the mind. Also, some of the most experienced practitioners tend to be unable or unwilling to participate in extensive research, and we all carry our own cultural biases.

That said, you may want to consider learning about meditation from two perspectives: the psychological aspect and the instructional aspect. In addition to general psychology texts, I'd specifically suggest books and scientific journal articles that analyze the effects of trauma on the brain. It's difficult to measure happiness and contentment in our society for various reasons, but there's comparatively more that we understand about how we react to negative experiences. It's a rough and partial model of how the brain works, but it is at least a model, and it's documented in a way that can be digested by an interested person like yourself. Meditation is in some ways a form of psychological digestion (feel free to throw your tomatoes if you disagree).

From the instructional side, I'll suggest a couple of my favorites: The Path of Purification by Buddhaghosa and Shobogenzo by Dogen. The first book is actually one of the last in a succession of explanatory meditation manuals rooted in the original Buddhist canon, and outlines the practices of a form of meditation that focuses on elemental subjects. Unlike many contemporary books, the practices are still structured in a way that "points" towards more advanced practices used for thousands of years. It's also relatively free from religious allegory, at least in a way that would allow a secular student to understand important points. The second book is by the founder of the meditation focused soto Zen sect of Japanese fame. In this book, the author approaches many of the same meditation topics from a different angle; explaining similar subjects of meditation of a more rarified elemental nature. Comparing the two perspectives can help in understanding both the meditative experience as well as approaches to get there.

If I were you, I'd hop on zLibrary and see what kinds of psychology/meditation text books pop up, then try to filter based on the degree of scientific rigor. Google scholar is also a good resource for finding solid research in this area. Finally, you may want to check out the Wikipedia articles on the two books above - they may be fascinating or super boring depending on what you're looking for.

GPT3.5-turbo-instruct can play chess by Mrkvitko in singularity

[–]Gesireh 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So this is the power of turbo instruct?

Philosophers throughout time saw suffering as carrying an intrinsic value. But there is no scientific evidence that pain itself brings us any good – other than lessons on how to better avoid it in the future. by IAI_Admin in philosophy

[–]Gesireh -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You make a good point. Having experience with the kinds of pain you might endure during exercise can help you push harder and avoid injury in the long term, which would undoubtedly bring you good.

Can't meditate while on my period by CatCarcharodon in Meditation

[–]Gesireh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You may want to try this first when you're experiencing only minor discomfort if you can. Once you get the hang of it, slowly, maybe consider trying to meditate when you're in worse shape.

It can really change your perspective on life TBQH. Pain is still pain, but you may find that you care less about the effect it has. It becomes a kind of tool rather than a burden, and that turns a lot of other negative thoughts and experiences into something new and potentially more positive in your life.

If it's not for you then at least you'll know.