July
This month I learned
- Instrumental convergence
Instrumental convergence is the hypothetical tendency for most sufficiently intelligent, goal directed beings (human and non-human) to pursue similar sub-goals, even if their ultimate goals are quite different. More precisely, agents (beings with agency) may pursue instrumental goals—goals which are made in pursuit of some particular end, but are not the end goals themselves—without ceasing, provided that their ultimate (intrinsic) goals may never be fully satisfied. Best illustrated by captivating Universal Paperclips.
Reading
A Git story: Not so fun this time is a wonderful tour through the history of Git. Reading through I realized how little I know about origins of a technology that I use on daily basis. The most startling realization was how humble the beginnings of it were; Git came to existence as a hack project of Linus Torvals and look where it’s now.
The Time I Built an ROV to Solve Missing Person Cases is a multipart series about an amateur building a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to solve the disappearance of Jussi Peltola in central Finland.
Watching
- I Was An MIT Educated Neurosurgeon Now I’m Unemployed And Alone In The Mountains How Did I Get Here?
- Stroads are Ugly, Expensive, and Dangerous (and they’re everywhere) , talking about the negatively impacts of stroads (combination of road and a street) on street life, pedestrian safety, and the look of towns and cities.