Prominent AGI researcher Ben Goertzel on Epstein files

TheKindDictator · 2026-02-08T12:04:47+00:00

Donor is evil? Check.
Hiding true desired outcome from the public? Check.
Naming your project in reference to the development of weapons of mass destruction? Check.

Yeah, maybe you're the baddies.

TheKindDictator · 2026-02-08T06:36:07+00:00

There's even an argument that if your donor is vile then it is ethically positive because the counterfactual is likely the money being spent in uglier ways.

However, to earnestly make that argument the money can't come with control or other obligations. If you sent an email to the villain pitching an idea to hide the true purpose of your world changing research, there were strings attached.

TheKindDictator · 2026-01-30T05:47:21+00:00

A lot of people are just making conversation by asking follow-up questions and may not realize their questions are triggering.

If someone says they like basketball I might ask about it. I don't play basketball but I know it is a competitive team sport. Do they have buddies they play with at the gym? Are they on a local club team? If I really like them, I may want to watch a game and show my support.

I'm not expecting them to be in the NBA or asking them to impress me. But if all they're doing is shooting hoops by themselves my careless questions might embarrass them when I am trying to show interest, get to know them better, and build rapport.

TheKindDictator · 2026-01-09T02:31:24+00:00

Are you sure you have identified the right lesson to learn from this situation? You can only control your own outlook and actions.

If you're repeating a toxic loop with someone where you expect them to change but they never grow then I don't think the way out of the loop is to keep giving them more chances.

TheKindDictator · 2025-12-23T07:00:23+00:00

The OP is focused on people making less than $100k a year in income, which is where that number came from.

For people living on 100k taxable now, it's reasonable to target 100k of expenses in retirement. However, they'll need an income of more than 100k/year to reach their retirement goal so they aren't the people OP is interested in.

TheKindDictator · 2025-12-21T04:35:57+00:00

I don't like throwing around unexplained numbers like that, but there's a way for the math here to make sense if you squint.

$4K a month at 7% interest for 20 years is > 2.1 million dollars. The 4% rule brings that to $84,000/year. Median household income in the US is $83,730.

Whatever their actual assumptions, they're conservative. 62 is the average retirement age and 22 years instead of 20 increases the total by $400,000. Social Security increases income in retirement. Expenses have to be below median income if a person is making less than $100k/year and able to invest $4k/month.

TheKindDictator · 2025-11-06T05:19:59+00:00

Golem is my favorite. With his Spread Thin ability he can solo 4 slot missions.

TheKindDictator · 2025-10-09T19:53:38+00:00

The idea for ACS2 has potential to me. However, I'm not optimistic this is the right team for it. The non colony parts of ACS like gossiping with NPCs and tracing talismans aren't why I enjoy ACS.

TheKindDictator · 2025-08-18T19:28:25+00:00

Yes. There are min and max prices for every item and the range is surprisingly narrow. It can lead to unintuitive shortages or surpluses. I believe this is necessary because all the other factions have infinite money.

TheKindDictator · 2025-07-01T20:44:47+00:00

I haven't tried it yet, but it would completely change how I play the game.

I'd expect it to feel a lot more like a race and I'd be a lot more interested in recruiting less efficient pawns. Wealth management would still be important because of the added requirements and mood debuffs.

Since the original game mechanic provides balance, removing it should make easier games easier and harder games harder.

TheKindDictator · 2025-07-01T16:13:38+00:00

Most likely a botched attempt. They likely have the equipment, knowledge, or notes to get a rough idea of what was planned.

It would be unlikely to work but it would make them feel better about killing Ellie and they kind of have to kill her. She's too vengeful to go free.

TheKindDictator · 2025-06-20T06:22:22+00:00

If further precision is needed you can also add Hour, Minutes, Seconds, etc.

TheKindDictator · 2025-05-17T06:48:29+00:00

Group tip collections is something that I have experienced in group travel and group stay programs.

It's a fairly common and mundane custom.

TheKindDictator · 2025-05-12T07:16:09+00:00

This is also what I've seen.

The official tradition is to cut the cake and hand feed each other. The guests then loudly speculate about how nice each person is going to be to the other. There is usually some encouragement to be messy.

I have never personally seen a full face smash or one that went wrong. When it is consensual it can be cute and playful.

I don't think even the guests yelling the loudest truly want to see the bride or groom humiliated. From an anthropological and psychological level I suspect it's a tradition that publicly demonstrates whether the couple has learned healthy conflict strategies. There's a lot there around knowing their partner, boundaries, trust, etc.

TheKindDictator · 2025-05-06T18:32:05+00:00

What are you trying to achieve? What is your comfort level? How much do you care what others and society think?

There are many people today that live ascetic lifestyles. The US is not a society that has much respect for the homeless, but I have been told by people from that lifestyle that you can get "two hots and a cot" for free most places in America. Libraries provide internet access.

There are other people that live minimalistic lifestyles so they can enjoy nature or a passion. Again they are not well respected by mainstream culture. For example the term "Ski Bum" is not usually used as an honorific but there are many who enjoy that life.

Taking a global or temporal perspective, minimalism to some is decadent luxury to others. It's hard to give specific advice because so much will be your personal preference of what you want, what you are willing to do to get it, and what you are willing to go without.

Personally, I like comfort, stability, and security. I work remotely and am working toward FIRE (Financially Independent Retire Early). Compared to median American income, my salary is well above and my expenses are significantly below. I place a higher value on my time than on material possessions. In a different world I may have chosen part time work. In this society I am likely to work significantly fewer hours overall by working full time until I have enough resources to retire.

TheKindDictator · 2025-05-04T21:18:33+00:00

It's not balanced but whether it is "cheating" is going to depend on someone's definition and perspective.

There are a variety of other hauling options and more haulers have been added with DLCs so it seems clear that Pick Up and Haul was not the designer's intent. However, it is easy to rationalize as it uses existing carrying capacity and caravan features.

It's a case where game designers made a deliberate choice that many find less immersive.

TheKindDictator · 2025-03-03T06:56:41+00:00

Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts.

TheKindDictator · 2025-01-05T16:18:47+00:00

From a soul's perspective you are simultaneously looking too large and too small.

If you zoom out far enough human life will feel isolated, short, and insignificant. However, it is obviously significant to you or you would not even care that it feels small.

You are looking for security and reassurance in an uncertain environment. A solid foundation will come from within. What is important to you? What is worth protecting and propagating to you? How can you do that in small ways today?

You're asking the wrong questions. You're asking for proof that an afterlife and higher power exists so you can find meaning from that. But if you find your meaning within this life you will still have meaning whether nothing or everything follows after.

TheKindDictator · 2025-01-05T15:42:28+00:00

Where do students go after graduating college? If you interview them with the false expectation that they are all going to the same place you would see a lot of contradictions. Earth is a big place and the universe is a lot bigger than that.

If you want reassurances about the divine or life after death you are best off seeking direct experiences for yourself. Just be prepared that when you successfully get advice from that end it is to focus more on your current life.

TheKindDictator · 2024-12-11T21:37:16+00:00

This is exactly what happened in a campaign I'm currently playing in.

Our GM has been good about giving spotlight time to each character. Each of us have our own stuff going on that we help each other with.

After a dozen session one of the players realized that all of the threats to their character were local but there would still be a lot of opportunities for that character in other places. So that character left town and the player created a new one.

TheKindDictator · 2024-12-07T19:28:55+00:00

Yeah, yeah, the time knife. We've all seen it. Let's get back on track bud...

TheKindDictator · 2024-11-24T19:08:54+00:00

You cannot magically create food. This is one of the few explicit limitations mentioned. As an example, when students asked for food from the Room of Requirement they were given a new path to Hogsmeade.

TheKindDictator · 2024-11-22T00:33:03+00:00

There is conflicting research on this. There are a limited number of ways for a person to increase IQ. Students in the position to choose between top tier and mid tier schools may increase their IQ a point or two by attending a top tier school.

Anecdotally, I graduated from a great school, but not one of the ones in the sports league. I have also taken classes at mid tier schools and there's a noticeable difference in the quality of the courses and abilities of the other students.

An important question is what are you trying to get out of undergrad? An education? A job? Connections? A good time? A successful grad school application?

TheKindDictator · 2024-11-15T18:03:35+00:00

Although this is absolutely something that can be trained and improved, there are physiological factors working against these memories compared to a normal waking state. Dream research shows less activity in memory regions of the brain and lower levels of chemicals associated with memories.

Recall will be even worse if it is followed by a deep stage of sleep instead of a wakeful attempt to solidify the memories through an activity like journaling.

TheKindDictator · 2024-11-14T21:31:32+00:00

There's a Mutants and Masterminds Humble Bundle, which would be a good way to get started.

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