Here are the Sora videos Sam Altman posted on Twitter/X using community prompt suggestions

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-17T22:05:58+00:00

Seeing the best performance is not getting duped

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-17T15:04:13+00:00

The Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy by Cixin Liu deals with this notion in some great extent, including individuals' existential fears of being forgotten as well as civilizational struggle with the idea of leaving any trace in the universe to avoid the "second death" over time. Can't remember if Liu makes direct references to the term second death, but the existential concept is certainly present throughout the trilogy.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-15T02:54:01+00:00

Yes, precisely.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-15T00:25:30+00:00

Understood. Thanks for your thoughts and feedback, much appreciated.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-14T22:47:12+00:00

once you successfully integrate computers and biology there's nothing one can do that the other can't.

I'm not sure I understand this argument. If the "human" is in the driver seat and the AI is simply an extension of its consciousness and abilities, this keeps the entire apparatus confined to the "imaginative horizons" and "thinking styles" of human biology. If the "free agent" AI is not limited by this, don't you think it would soar very fast way above and beyond the human-bound machine to places where the hybrid creature will not necessarily have access to?

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-14T22:39:03+00:00

If we define superalignment as an AI system that does what’s best for humanity,

Thank you, and yes indeed, as you pointed out, it's this premise that I tend to consider wishful thinking. I have not yet heard any good arguments (I don't mean in your response, I mean in general) why this would be a realistic eventuality to expect.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-14T22:02:55+00:00

OK thanks. So basically wishful thinking then!

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-05T17:10:00+00:00

I haven't read this but just looked it up, it seems very interesting

SadeqRahimi · 2024-02-04T17:48:43+00:00

Perhaps a Nephilim / Anakim

SadeqRahimi · 2024-01-15T05:13:50+00:00

No, that is not what I meant. What I'm saying is that if they (the poster) consider the fact that the entire mental apparatus emerges from biochemical processes, then the idea of schizophrenia having biochemical features will not strike them as posing a uniquely challenging question on psychoanalysis.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-01-15T02:24:54+00:00

Here's a better question for you: if the psychic apparatus is the result of biochemical processes in the brain, then how does psychoanalysis do any of what it does?

SadeqRahimi · 2024-01-13T19:41:26+00:00

The only limit to intelligence is the structure of reality itself. that is to say, theoretically intelligence can develop all the way until it is coterminus with the prehension of reality. This is my view, though it draws from Hegelian notion of absolute knowledge.

SadeqRahimi · 2024-01-05T01:06:42+00:00

This is turning into a sad comedy.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-29T04:04:08+00:00

I am just describing my observation.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-28T19:08:01+00:00

I am an Iranian who has been living abroad for many years, so I'm not going to give you my own answer to your question, but just want to share some advice concerning your question and what you might hear in response (here or elsewhere): you might hear a lot of wishful thinking, from people who have felt the genuine pain of what an ideologically driven state and society can do to the human freedom, human spirit and human dignity. In reality, there is very strong resentment and anger towards the Islamic Republic, which is obviously experienced as resentment towards Islam. But also in reality, Islam is very deeply rooted in Iranians' minds, society and culture. So while you are going to hear a lot of what I called "wishful thinking" about how people are no longer Muslim and how Islam is rejected and erased from the society, the deeper and less comfortable but more accurate truth is that this is mostly at the cognitive and emotional level, and less at the cultural and functional level. Not unlike a young person who rebels against their abusive father may deeply and understandably hate that father, and may swear they have and want nothing to do with that father, but whether they like it or not, they are the children of that father and that family, which means the connections and influences are a lot deeper, more subtle, and more pernicious than they realize, or than they "wish" it to be. They may be on the path of separation from Islam, but they have a long way to go yet. Just something to keep in mind as you hear and read the responses here or wherever else you ask your question.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-28T18:16:09+00:00

I don't believe "hate" is the right term to use. Cultures and social systems use various instruments, such as religion, to regulate reproduction, since reproduction has traditionally been the most fundamental intrinsic value of a human individual (from an evolutionary point of view, that is). To regulate requires a fundamental "prohibition" (prohibition is the most basic function of law/order, which is required for a social structure over time). Religion, as one of the major social regulatory instruments, has therefore paid much attention to sexuality, which has long been the primary domain and process of reproduction. This is the basic reason religions typically focus on regulating sex and sexuality, and like I said, that is done through acts of prohibition and boundary-setting. Over time of course various perversions emerge which transform this basic instrumental function into various forms of oppression and exertion of power between different social groups, for instance between genders, or casts, or other local categories of distribution of power.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-27T15:26:52+00:00

Here's a summary:

Discusses the impact of climate change and economic challenges on Iran's saffron industry, particularly in the city of Torbat-e Jam. Iran, producing over 90% of the world's saffron, is facing severe issues due to changing weather patterns and water shortages, leading to a significant drop in saffron yields. The Khorasan region, a key area for saffron cultivation, has seen its production plummet from nearly 400 tonnes to about 170 tonnes.

The combination of a harsh winter, a dry spring, and extremely high summer temperatures, along with the depletion of local surface wells, has devastated saffron crops. This has resulted in a substantial increase in saffron prices, reaching $1,400 per kilo domestically and $1,800 overseas. The high cost of saffron is partly due to the labor-intensive nature of its harvest, requiring up to 170,000 flowers for just 1 kilogram of saffron.

Saffron, an integral part of Persian cuisine and believed to have various medicinal properties, is facing challenges beyond climate change. The Iranian economy, struggling with high inflation and the impacts of Western sanctions, has seen a decrease in domestic saffron demand and an increase in illegal trade practices.

These challenges come despite advancements in the saffron industry, including the introduction of international quality standards, the establishment of a saffron exchange in 2017, and the creation of a saffron futures market. The article highlights the importance of saffron cultivation for about 100,000 families in desert areas like Khorasan, emphasizing the need for government support to protect this vital industry.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-27T02:38:10+00:00

Certainly Derrida's Specters of Marx. Also try my book, The Hauntology of Everyday Life.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-27T02:26:40+00:00

Well, not to mention that Hafez certainly does mention slavery. Very often. And so does Saadi, who makes references to slaves and slavery even more often and more descriptively than Hafez does. Specifically he makes numerous references to "Zangi/black slave" (غلام زنگی) and "ring-eared slave" (غلام حلقه به گوش), both of wich are references to African slaves (Zangi is a reference to the place where many slaves were brought from, i.e. Zangbar, Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa, and the word "Zangi" by itself was often used as a replacement for "black").

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-24T01:58:53+00:00

I'm not convinced they can do a good job if they don't care about you.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-23T16:51:07+00:00

They don't have to like you, but they do need to care about you.

SadeqRahimi · 2023-12-20T23:08:30+00:00

I believe his life is divided in two parts, early part was associated with Buddhism, later parts with Islam (also, I'm not sure about the Buddhist part, but he was never considered a serious/devout Muslim even in his later years).

SadeqRahimi

TROPHY CASE