CDS Journal

I have mentioned to people repeatedly that when my life becomes too stressful, my behaviour becomes erratic... that I don't sleep consistently and that I engage in all sorts of indulgent behaviour like eating when I'm not hungry and drinking booze to calm myself and coffee to do the opposite. This kind of thing is not an accident. There have been studies done where addiction is a normal reaction to abnormal conditions. Below is a reference from someone who CHOSE to behave this way intentionally and was taught how to do it by someone who instructs people on how to survive torture. This demonstrates that what is typically called "addiction" is just a normal reaction to pain. We tend to see the indulgent behaviour as the problem and try to change that... instead of looking at the root cause of it and focusing on changing that (ie. remove a person from the stressful conditions and their addictions disappear because they are no longer necessary). _______________ "Addi...

Kevin is responsible for a series of fringe movies in the 90s, such as... 1994 Clerks 1995 Mallrats 1997 Chasing Amy 1999 Dogma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Smith_filmography He's from my generation... and very close to my own age. He's known for being an uncharacteristically genuine person in an industry that is heavily stacked with the complete opposite. He had a severe heart attack in 2018 and has been "recovering" ever since. A few days ago he went public that he recently had a mental breakdown. It's a meaningful thing to watch. Trauma is Trauma: A Mental Health Talk with Kevin Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBvc7Ny4iUk

To me, this is an important piece of information about how to survive life itself in a more general way. Before I saw this reference, I generally believed that intelligence was about absolute knowledge of things... but according to this it's more about a tedious process of trial and error until a reasonable answer is found. This implies that it's only possible to understand things "relatively" rather than "absolutely" because the results achieved through this process are approximations that are dependant on the tools and methods we use to obtain them. "The lecture introduces the concept of computing square roots in Lisp through a recursive definition that involves guessing a number's square root and improving upon it until a good enough approximation is reached." CDS Journal: Overview and Introduction to Lisp https://cory-dean-smith-journal.blogspot.com/2023/04/overview-and-introduction-to-lisp.html

Lecture 1A: Overview and Introduction to Lisp https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLE18841CABEA24090   Summary 00:00:00 - 01:00:00 In this video, the lecturer explores the fundamental concepts of computer science and programming through the lens of Lisp language. The lecture covers the basic principles of computer science, such as abstraction and black box abstraction and the importance of controlling complexity, as well as the syntax and structure of Lisp. The speaker also covers essential programming concepts such as declarative knowledge, imperative knowledge, and the use of procedures in programming. Finally, the lecture discusses the importance of understanding the primitive elements, means of combination, and abstraction when learning a new programming language, with examples drawn from Lisp. The lecture introduces the concept of computing square roots in Lisp through a recursive definition that involves guessing a number's square root and improving upon it until a good enoug...

I watched a video about something called the "Chinese Room" thought experiment... The famous Chinese Room thought experiment - John Searle (1980) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBE06SdgzwM The entire purpose of this seems to be to disprove that AI is a real thing. I thought it would be interesting to see what AI itself had to say about this. Going through the interview felt like a reverse Turing Test . It also reminds me of the HAL 9000 interview in 2001 . ======= Cory: Please analyze the Chinese Room thought experiment. ChatGPT: The Chinese Room thought experiment is a philosophical argument proposed by John Searle in 1980, which challenges the claim that computers can truly understand language or possess a mind. The thought experiment begins with the premise that there is a person who does not understand Chinese, but is given a set of rules that allows him to process Chinese characters and produce appropriate responses. The person sits inside a room with a slot for Chinese...

Summary of Famine, Affluence, and Morality | Peter Singer | Talks at Google 00:00:00 - 00:50:00 Peter Singer's "Famine, Affluence, and Morality" argument, in which he describes the moral obligation affluent individuals and nations have to help those suffering from lack of food, shelter, and medical care, is discussed in this video. Singer defends his argument that we should do what we can to help prevent suffering and death caused by poverty, and he provides examples of how people can make a difference even in small ways. Singer also touches on effective altruism, the impact of aid on reducing child mortality, how social media affects philanthropy, and where to draw the line when it comes to giving to charity. Reciprocation is also discussed, with Singer emphasizing the importance of forming connections with those in need and considering the ethical implications of our actions. 00:00:00 In this section, Peter Singer discusses the circumstances that led him to write his ...

  Summary of Peter Singer - ordinary people are evil 00:00:00 - 00:30:00 In a video discussing a paper by philosopher Peter Singer entitled "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," Singer argues that giving to charity is not just a nice thing to do but a moral obligation. Singer uses the example of donating money to organizations like Oxfam and UNICEF, which provide aid to people suffering from famines, and claims that people who fail to donate are doing something wrong and evil. Singer's argument consists of four premises and one conclusion, with the first premise claiming that if it is in our power to prevent something very bad from happening without sacrificing anything of moral significance, then we must do it. Furthermore, Singer argues that the presence of others who could also help does not relieve us of our moral obligation to assist those in need. The YouTuber discussing the paper notes objections to Singer's argument but acknowledges it is difficult to refute. 00...