August 2022 Linkpost

My buddy shared a link about a crypto developer faking an entire DeFi ecosystem—turns out building illusions is easier than actual value, but the fallout hits real wallets.

Philosophy & Human Nature

Hero Licensing (lesswrong.com)
I would note that this concept explores how people often resist improvements unless they fit a heroic narrative, drawing on cognitive biases that prioritize status over practical progress. A colleague mentioned it’s like how we dismiss incremental changes in favor of grand gestures, which ties into broader human tendencies to seek admiration rather than effectiveness.

On Christianity (medium.com)
Taleb’s essay delves into how Christianity inverted ancient values, glorifying the weak and introducing concepts like “skin in the game” through divine suffering. I would observe that this shift has profound implications for modern ethics, as someone pointed out, influencing even secular ideologies despite their attempts to escape religious roots.

Rules for Weird Ideas (dynomight.net)
This piece discusses why unconventional ideas are often dismissed and proposes rules for engaging with them thoughtfully. A pal shared it, noting how it encourages realism about reception and selective investigation, which connects to human biases like confirmation and the social process of truth-finding.

Self-Improvement is Generally a Lie (sashachapin.substack.com)
The author argues that much self-help is illusory, emphasizing acceptance over constant striving. I would suggest this resonates with observations on how pursuits of perfection often mask deeper issues, as a friend remarked on its reminder to embrace one’s current state.

Reality Has a Surprising Amount of Detail (johnsalvatier.org)
This post highlights how everyday tasks reveal hidden complexities, urging attention to overlooked details. Someone noted it’s a lesson in humility, showing how missing nuances can stall progress in any endeavor.

Academic Research & Science

Distinguishing Features of Long COVID Identified Through Immune Profiling (medrxiv.org)
This cross-sectional study of 215 individuals used immune phenotyping and machine learning to identify markers of Long COVID, finding differences in myeloid and lymphocyte populations, elevated antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and EBV, and uniformly lower cortisol levels, with cortisol as the top predictor. Methodology involved multi-dimensional analysis; implications suggest pathways for biomarkers and further pathobiology research. A colleague would highlight how this underscores the immune system’s role in persistent symptoms.

Head Injuries and Bicycle Helmet Laws (sciencedirect.com)
Analyzing Australian helmet laws, the study found increased helmet use but greater reductions in cycling, with only modest head injury declines possibly due to other safety measures. Key finding: helmet laws may net health losses by discouraging cycling, whose benefits outweigh risks 20:1; suggests vehicle occupant helmets could save more lives. Methodology used pre/post-law surveys; implications question mandatory helmets’ efficacy.

Link Between Parental Age and Autism, Explained (spectrumnews.org)
Multiple studies show older fathers increase autism risk (e.g., sixfold for 40s vs. under 30), due to sperm mutations, with de novo mutations explaining ~20% of risk. Maternal links are less clear, with some suggesting higher risk for young mothers. Implications: later parenthood explains only 1-5% of autism rise, but aids biological insights.

What I Learned Gathering Thousands of Nootropic Ratings (troof.blog)
Analyzing 36,163 ratings from 2,802 people using Bayesian models, key findings: lifestyle factors like sleep and weightlifting outrank many nootropics; peptides like Cerebrolysin show high life-changing probabilities; stimulants excel for focus. Methodology adjusted for biases; implications stress controlled studies over self-reports.

Technology & Society

A Cyclic Theory of Subcultures (astralcodexten.substack.com)
This theory outlines subculture phases: precycle (enthusiasts sacrifice for passion), growth (abundant status), involution (scarcity leads to fights), postcycle (stabilization). Analogous to Turchin’s cycles, examples include karate and literature. Implications: technology subcultures follow similar patterns, affecting innovation and cohesion.

Roboticists Discover Alternative Physics (science.slashdot.org)
Using AI, researchers identified new physical variables in systems like walking robots (eight variables) and a heart pump (four variables). Implications: AI could reveal overlooked physics laws, advancing robotics and engineering.

Master of Anons: How a Crypto Developer Faked a DeFi Ecosystem (coindesk.com)
The Macalinao brothers used fake identities to inflate Solana’s TVL to $7.5B via interlocking protocols, leading to hacks and token crashes. Implications: exposes DeFi vulnerabilities, eroding trust and causing economic losses.

Build Your Own Imagen Text-to-Image Model (assemblyai.com)
Tutorial on creating a text-to-image model like Imagen using Stable Diffusion. Implications: democratizes AI art generation, raising ethical questions on creativity and IP.

Stable Diffusion Animation (replicate.com)
Animates Stable Diffusion by interpolating prompts, using FILM for smoothness. Implications: enhances AI-generated media, impacting animation and content creation industries.

The Door Problem (lizengland.com)
Illustrates game design complexities via doors, involving multiple disciplines. Implications: highlights interdisciplinary tech needs in gaming, informing development processes.

How to Stop Being Terminally Online (nights.bearblog.dev)
Tips include soul-searching biases, rationalizing FOMO, accepting yourself, reducing irony, and finding hobbies. Implications: promotes healthier tech use, countering social media’s societal harms.

Celody (celody.com)
A network state using infinite music streams to generate tokens for a musical digital world. Implications: blends AI music with crypto, exploring new social and economic models.

Phoenix Framework (phoenixframework.org)
Elixir-based framework for interactive apps with real-time features. Implications: simplifies scalable web dev, boosting productivity.

Phoenix LiveView (hexdocs.pm)
Enables stateful views with server-side rendering and diffs. Implications: enhances real-time apps, reducing client complexity.

Get the Message Campaign (android.com)
Pushes RCS for better Android-iOS texting. Implications: improves cross-platform communication, pressuring interoperability.

Culdesac (culdesac.com)
Car-free community with walkable design and local businesses. Implications: promotes sustainable urbanism, reducing car dependence.

Economics & Development

Business Retreats and Sanctions Are Crippling the Russian Economy (papers.ssrn.com)
Using unconventional data, findings show collapsed imports, stalled production, and financial contraction. Methodology: high-frequency consumer and trade data; implications: unified sanctions could prevent Russian recovery.

Yes, Sanctions on Russia Are Working (noahpinion.substack.com)
Sanctions hinder war production, weakening Russia’s industrial base despite ruble strength. Implications: misconceptions overlook long-term economic damage.

Slightly Against Underpopulation (astralcodexten.substack.com)
Argues population declines are slow, absolute numbers remain high; immigration sustains growth. Implications: focus on tech singularities over distant worries.

The Elite Overproduction Hypothesis (noahpinion.substack.com)
Excess humanities graduates fueled unrest; data shows major shifts post-2010. Implications: realign education with job markets to prevent frustration.

Education and Lifetime Earnings (ssa.gov)
Bachelor’s degrees yield $900K/$630K more for men/women; methodology: median regression on SIPP data. Implications: higher education boosts earnings despite costs.

The New Income-Driven Repayment System Could Cause Some Big Problems (peoplespolicyproject.org)
Changes reduce repayments, potentially inflating tuition. Implications: need price controls to avoid cost bloat.

A Totally Off-the-News Post About Taxes (slowboring.com)
Proposes taxing consumption over investment, harmful activities, and land. Implications: encourages savings, addresses externalities.

Student Loan Debt Statistics (nerdwallet.com)
$1.75T owed, average $28,950 per borrower. Implications: highlights repayment challenges, especially for certain majors.

Climate & Environment

Breakthrough as Alternative Behaviors (pnas.org)
Study on worst-case climate scenarios, methodology: modeling extreme risks. Implications: guide risk management despite uncertainties.

Climate Comparer Dashboard (public.tableau.com)
Tool compares cities’ temperature/sunshine cycles. Implications: aids climate migration planning.

Fiery Furnace Hike (nps.gov)
Labyrinthine sandstone hike requiring permits. Implications: promotes environmental protection through regulated access.

Reference & Curiosities

Lumpers and Splitters (en.wikipedia.org)
Opposing categorization approaches; examples from biology, history. Implications: informs philosophical debates on materialism vs. idealism.

Frequency Illusion (en.m.wikipedia.org)
Cognitive bias of noticing things more after awareness; examples in linguistics, medicine. Implications: explains biases in perception.

Kinmen Islands (en.wikipedia.org)
Taiwanese islands near China; history of conflicts. Implications: highlights geopolitical tensions.

Stateless RESTful APIs (stackoverflow.com)
Each request self-contained; implications: enhances scalability, reliability.

There’s No Speed Limit (sive.rs)
Story of accelerated learning; lessons: high expectations speed progress.

Math and Reading SAT Scores by Major (public.tableau.com)
Dashboard shows patterns like engineering highs. Implications: guides career choices.

Being-Doing Balance (jeanhsu.substack.com)
Prioritizes reflection over tasks; implications: prevents burnout.

Church of Interruption (sambleckley.com)
Conversational styles clash; implications: improves communication awareness.

Dammit, It Is NOT Unravelling (gulfanalysis.wordpress.com)
Rebukes Sykes-Picot myths; implications: corrects historical narratives.

Ra (srconstantin.github.io)
Symbolizes legitimacy distortions; implications: critiques authority biases.

What Savvy News Readers Notice (gillett.substack.com)
Tips for critical reading; implications: enhances media literacy.

Politics & Current Events (2022)

Go Republican, Young EA! (forum.effectivealtruism.org)
Suggests EAs join Republicans for impact; implications: strategic party choice.

Effective Altruism Has a Novelty Problem (freddiedeboer.substack.com)
Critiques EA’s focus on uniqueness; implications: maturity through ordinary efforts.

Why I Am Not an Effective Altruist (erikhoel.substack.com)
Critiques utilitarianism’s flaws; implications: questions EA’s core.

The Reluctant Prophet of Effective Altruism (newyorker.com)
Profiles MacAskill’s shift to longtermism; implications: debates resource allocation.

I’m Worried About Chicago (slowboring.com)
Fears economic decline; implications: remote work’s urban impact.

The Massive Effort to Change How Kids Are Taught to Read (time.com)
Shift to phonics; implications: addresses reading proficiency gaps.

Don’t Go to A&E (unherd.com)
Critiques NHS strain; implications: private care rise.

The US Education System Gets Decent Value for Money (noahpinion.substack.com)
Debunks inefficiency myths; implications: reevaluate spending critiques.