Humanity has recently completed its Dyson sphere around the sun, bringing us to Kardashev level 2. A full 8% of the sun’s output is used to mine bitcoin. On January 12, 2073, around 8:30 in the morning UTC time, Satoshi Nakamoto’s coins, long since dormant, are suddenly dispersed to millions of seemingly random addresses. Each […]
The Taliban has a more sensible approach to the war on drugs than that shared by American elites, and that’s why they won the war in Afghanistan. America lost in Afghanistan, not because the war was unwinnable, but because we insisted on shooting ourselves in the foot, by trying to ban a product that accounts […]
One Saturday morning, I brushed my teeth while watching my then-four-year-old daughter write her first computer code. I stood with a toothbrush in my mouth, watching Allie carefully select tiles. A green arrow means “go straight”, a blue arrow means “turn right”, and a tile with colorful fireworks, means, “do a dance.” I worked […]
I am laying in a hammock, with my eyes closed. I am swinging gently. I cannot tell if I am feeling weightless, or if I’m feeling the absence of the weight that I normally feel. I accept this feeling, or the absence thereof. I accept the curiosity which wants to know the difference. I feel […]
Distributed systems and packs of animals both need to solve a common problem: who should be in charge? Who should resolve disputes? When there’s a disagreement over the way to proceed, whose lead should we follow? The animals need a leader to coordinate pack hunts and make decisions as to where the pack should go. […]
Some time last spring, I reached a conclusion. I was drinking my morning coffee, and the thought appeared in my mind. It was as clear as the first drop of milk into the otherwise black mug: perhaps many people aren’t capable of holding beliefs that differ wildly from those of their peers. It seemed entirely […]
==== begin statement of faith ==== I trust in youI have faith in youI submit to your will in all things I ask that you give me the wisdom to hear you, instead of myselfI ask that you remind me of your presence, give me the patience to hear you, and the strength to obey […]
It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that global capitalism constitutes an artificial general intelligence. I suspect the same is true of past empires, as well. Synthesizing these two beliefs, I conclude that human civilization, ever since the sedentary shift, has played host to a memetic ecosystem that has given rise to many different […]
Don’t respond, don’t engage, don’t reply, and don’t react.This is not communication, it’s performance, it’s an act. Don’t get angry, don’t get mad, don’t get bothered, don’t get sad.Today you’ll be more present and tomorrow you’ll feel glad. Don’t feed it any energy, and it will go away.The more that you respond to it, the […]
Do all of your thinking patterns serve you? Is it possible that a lot of your thoughts are actually harming you, and doing so in a sneaky way? One perhaps non-obvious consequence of seeing memes as organisms is the concept of a memetic parasite. Our brains are hosts for memes, and it may be […]