Interesting OSI debate on how to define "open source AI":

https://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/995159/a37fb9817a00ebcb/

Possible futures of the Ethereum protocol, part 1: the Merge

https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2024/10/14/futures1.html

Why is the aesthetic of gyms, even the good ones, always so lifeless? Always black and grey and white everywhere. I want fans blowing air in my face at 12 km/h and a simulation of running along a forest path in a magical fantasy world .... or at least some plants.

Sometimes you can believe the right thing for the wrong reason.

The last week of Ethereum state tree research be like...

I am noticing that the most successful new ideologies of the past decade are very object-level (prescriptions on specific issues) and quite little meta-level (social processes for making decisions on object-level issues). Examples:

* Abstract libertarianism feels much weaker than 10 years ago. But issue-specific versions of it are quite successful: YIMBY (housing), the crypto space
* e/acc (it's about all technology in theory, but ends up being about AI in practice)
* The largest cluster in effective altruism morphed from being meta-level ("think harder to making sure your donations are going where they can do the most good!") to object level (AI safety, with a little bit of animal welfare and global public health)
* Longevity movement

Maybe network states and Glen and Audrey's Plurality movement are two exceptions - but in general the above feels like a strong pattern. Any ideas why this meta level -> object level shift seems to be taking place?

choonran

@choonran