Lugh

joined 1 year ago
MODERATOR OF
 

As you probably know from the sidebar this site was started by moderators from the r/futurology subreddit, and some of us moderate both. We initially thought most of the site's growth would come via Reddit, but it hasn't happened that way. Our main instance - c/futurology - gets most of its subscribers from elsewhere in the fediverse. Despite several attempts with pinned posts that a few thousand people have read, only 20% of our userbase joined from Reddit.

We don't want to spam the subreddit user base, but we have access to things like pinned posts and comments to promote this site.

We'd like to grow subscriber numbers for here from Reddit. Any ideas as to how to do this more successfully than we have previously?

[–] Lugh 2 points 5 months ago

OP makes an interesting point here, that though current AI is geared to making things more efficient, it's not necessarily as good at making them better. I agree with the general insight. Though I find his worldview a bit limited, why is it only interesting to talk about this in terms of what businesses do?

[–] Lugh 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yeah I would definitely think that better LIDAR would be the answer for the problems with dawn and dusk, but the problems with turning might be trickier. It seems there are so many unpredictable variables at play in every situation, that it's hard to model for all of them. But even with that, I would assume eventually with enough modeling that problem will be fixed.

[–] Lugh 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yeah, it would probably reassure some people. I'm sure lots of AI will get anthropomorphised to make it seem cuddly and approachable.

[–] Lugh 2 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Mmm, not sure how I feel about this. It just seems to add an unnecessary layer where things might go wrong.

[–] Lugh 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

how these robots probably will be used for military purposes as well.

Yes, and not to mention what non-state actors will be able to do with this technology. I'm sure there will be a day in the future when a terrorist attack is carried out by hacked robots.

Despite all that I'm an optimist. I think reducing things like medical expertise to near zero cost will be such a huge boon to humanity, and I suspect most of this robotics power will be relatively decentralized. I don't really believe in dystopian narratives where corporate overlords own the world and the rest of us are reduced to serfs.

[–] Lugh 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

In fairness the rethinkx people are doing a better job than most in drawing attention to this issue.

However, I still think the term cowardice is merited, and not just for them.

We constantly hear Silicon Valley types talk about disruption like this, but they’re always afraid to follow through with logical conclusions. I think it's because they know the only two choices are some sort of socialism, or chaos.

It makes them frauds as well as cowards. On the one hand taking billions from private investors for AI; with the other hand creating a world where the stock market probably won’t exist, or will survive only as a shrunken relic.

[–] Lugh 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (6 children)

the marginal cost of labor will rapidly approach zero.....................................Moreover, history shows that although capital (in the form of facilities, machinery, and knowledge) have substituted and thus displaced labor time and time again, labor has nevertheless evolved to remain complementary to that capital.

This illustrates the problem I always have with these discussions. It's even more frustrating in this article, as it clearly states facts, but in the most cowardly of fashions avoids honest implications. How are we supposed to have a free market economy based on capitalism when there is zero value for labor either physical or intellectual?

Every single part of our financial system is based on that; from banking to mortgages to consumer spending to the stock market having valuations to property having valuations. If every single job you can imagine, even the future ones, can be done by machines that are vastly cheaper than humans on the minimum wage, you cannot possibly have an economy that is anything like today's. Yet cowards that they are, the authors of this article lead us all they way to that conclusion, but are too scared to say it.

[–] Lugh 5 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There are many theories linking consciousness and quantum physics, and it's important to say that this research doesn't prove any of them. However, if the research can be replicated in a proper peer reviewed way, it will provide startling new correlations between observed effects of consciousness and quantum physics.

These tryptophan networks are common in microtubules, structural components widespread in all cells. Although no one knows why anesthetics cause people to lose consciousness, there is evidence for them having effects in these microtubules. There is also existing research that seems to show correlations between quantum behavior in these microtubules and the actions of anesthesia. With this fresh research, now it seems there may be a further link between these microtubules and quantum physics.

Its possible implications for AI may be huge too. Some assume current approaches to AI will lead to some form of machine consciousness; this suggests that belief may be misplaced, as 3D structures like microtubules may play a role in creating it.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Ultraviolet Superradiance from Mega-Networks of Tryptophan in Biological Architectures

[–] Lugh 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Huge error? No, but sloppy,

Sure, but maybe that is a distraction from what is significant here.

Assuming this finding is valid, and can be replicated in a peer-reviewed way, then the link between quantum effects in the tryptophan networks in tubules and the action of anesthetics, is at the very least a startling coincidence.

[–] Lugh 2 points 5 months ago (3 children)

The wonderful science YouTuber Anton Petrov has done a great video giving an overview of this finding. He discusses it primarily in the context of anesthesia and consciousness, but the discovery could have wider implications.

There are many theories linking consciousness and quantum physics, and it's important to say that this research doesn't prove any of them. However, if the research can be replicated in a proper peer reviewed way, it will provide startling new correlations between observed effects of consciousness and quantum physics.

Its possible implications for AI may be huge too. Some assume current approaches to AI will lead to some form of machine consciousness; this suggests that belief is misplaced.

ORIGINAL SOURCE: Ultraviolet Superradiance from Mega-Networks of Tryptophan in Biological Architectures

[–] Lugh 8 points 5 months ago (3 children)

DK has both the research and manufacturing capacity to make these claims credible. Earlier this year they outlined an improved chemistry for lithium ion batteries that might boost their capacity between 10 and 40%.

The ceramics in these batteries are too delicate for batteries that large, even so small wearable devices that need to charge much less often will be very commercially popular.

[–] Lugh 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The human intestine is 6 meters long. It can be useful to locate problems with millimeter precision as this approach claims to do.

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