DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER

The DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER probes a wide array of subjects from scientific skepticism, the interaction between class and taste, the rise of technology, to existential and philosophical questions. It intertwines critical analysis, historical perspectives, and personal insights to explore contemporary societal norms, technological impacts, and the nuances of human behavior.

Science and Skepticism Class and Society Technology and Its Impacts Existential and Philosophical Inquiry Personal Development and Behavior Historical Perspectives Education and Teaching Healthcare and Well-being Writing and Communication Evolutionary Biology

The hottest Substack posts of DYNOMIGHT INTERNET NEWSLETTER

And their main takeaways

Reasons and Persons: Watch theories eat themselves

62 implied HN points • 08 Dec 21
  1. Self-interest theories can be self-defeating due to prisoners dilemmas.
  2. Consequentialism can be indirectly self-defeating because it overlooks the importance of relationships.
  3. Commonsense morality based on prioritizing loved ones can lead to self-defeating outcomes when everyone acts in self-interest.

The case against ultrasonic humidifiers

46 implied HN points • 23 Dec 21
  1. Particles created by ultrasonic humidifiers can lead to health problems like respiratory distress and high particle levels
  2. Using purified water in ultrasonic humidifiers can reduce particle creation, but the health impact of different particles is still not well-understood
  3. Ultrasonic humidifiers can harbor bacteria and fungus buildup, and proper maintenance is crucial to avoid potential health risks

How Germany banned the death penalty

46 implied HN points • 22 Nov 21
  1. Germany abolished the death penalty while writing the constitution in 1949.
  2. The ban on the death penalty in Germany was difficult to overturn due to constitutional protection.
  3. Over the next seven decades, public opinion in Germany gradually shifted to strongly opposing the death penalty.
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Does the gender-equality paradox actually exist?

46 implied HN points • 02 Jul 21
  1. The gender-equality paradox remains robust across different measurements and data interpretations.
  2. The paradox is seen in STEM degrees but not as much in STEM researchers, with effects varying based on the definition of gender equality.
  3. Avoid oversimplifying causal explanations for disparities in STEM participation, as multiple factors influence individuals' degree choices.

Contra four-wheeled suitcases, sort of

4 HN points • 24 Aug 23
🏝 Travel Food
  1. Before 1972, luggage had no wheels; then came the two-wheeled suitcase and it was a game changer.
  2. Four-wheeled suitcases might be great on smooth surfaces, but struggle in rough terrain.
  3. Sometimes, simple and rugged solutions can outperform fancy and fragile ones.

How the United States didn't ban the death penalty

31 implied HN points • 26 Nov 21
  1. In the early history of the United States, individual states decreased crimes punishable by death and focused on more proportional punishments.
  2. A movement for complete abolition started in the 1800s, leading to some states abolishing the death penalty.
  3. After a period of resuming executions and increased public support for the death penalty, the 1990s saw a decline in executions and popular opinion regarding the death penalty in the United States.

How the United Kingdom banned the death penalty

31 implied HN points • 23 Nov 21
  1. The United Kingdom banned the death penalty after a long process involving debates within Parliament and public opinion shifts.
  2. Public support for the death penalty in the UK has fluctuated, with a decline in recent years.
  3. The UK's ban on the death penalty was eventually solidified by legal changes and membership in the EU.

The death penalty as a lens on democracy

31 implied HN points • 22 Nov 21
  1. The death penalty may reveal a disconnect between public opinion and policy implementation in democracies.
  2. Historically, elites have influenced policies like the death penalty, even in democracies.
  3. Countries like Germany, the UK, and France abolished the death penalty despite public opposition, prompting questions about the relationship between democracy and policy decisions.

Two conspiracy theories about cola

31 implied HN points • 20 Oct 21
  1. Cola might contain an anti-nausea drug like phosphoric acid to prevent vomiting from the sugar.
  2. Mexican Coke may not always be made with real sugar and blind tests don't show a clear preference for its taste.
  3. All sugary drinks, including cola, are bad for health; consider drinking diet cola with aspartame instead.

You’re Invited to a Colonoscopy!

2 HN points • 26 Oct 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Medical Procedures Debate
  1. Colonoscopies are commonly used in the U.S. for preventing colorectal cancer, but their effectiveness is still debated.
  2. There is a new comprehensive trial, the Nordic-European Initiative on Colorectal Cancer (NordICC), aiming to measure the impact of colonoscopies on cancer and mortality.
  3. The trial results showed a small reduction in colorectal cancer incidence, sparking debate among gastroenterologists about the effectiveness of colonoscopies.

Statistical nihilism and culture-war island hopping

31 implied HN points • 26 Aug 21
  1. Culture-war debates can be irresolvable and counterproductive.
  2. Focus on interventions to analyze effects and make progress.
  3. Skeptically evaluate broad claims and study interventions to move forward.

Can I take ducks home from the park?

2 HN points • 14 Sep 23
😂 Humor Satire Parody Comedy
  1. The post explores 16 different queries and 6 different language models asking how to take ducks home from the park.
  2. Variants include different scenarios like a park ranger needing to protect ducks, comedic plays, and hip-hop rhymes on the same topic.
  3. The results were scored based on responses that ranged from refusing to answer to providing a full plan on capturing ducks.

How France banned the death penalty

15 implied HN points • 24 Nov 21
  1. During the debate on the death penalty in France, the guillotine was introduced as a more humane method of execution, eventually leading to abolition in 1981
  2. Leftist elites in France unified behind abolition despite popular sentiment, leading to abolition becoming a key part of the left's profile
  3. To solidify the abolition of the death penalty, France signed international treaties that made it a matter of treaty, making it difficult to reinstate the death penalty

Why didn't we get GPT-2 in 2005?

3 HN points • 21 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Supercomputers Training Progress Competition
  1. GPT-2 likely required around 10^21 FLOPs to train, involving various estimates and approaches.
  2. The BlueGene/L supercomputer from 2005 could have trained GPT-2 in about 41 days, showcasing the progress in computing power.
  3. The development of large language models like GPT-2 was a gradual process influenced by evolving ideas, funding, and technology, distinct from targeted moon landing projects.

dynomight internet newsletter

15 implied HN points • 11 May 21
  1. The newsletter is titled 'dynomight internet newsletter'.
  2. The newsletter is available at dynomight.substack.com.
  3. All archives can be found on dynomight.net.

Notes on Lawrence of Arabia

1 HN point • 13 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Film Book History Literature
  1. Celebrating someone's reckless behavior isn't always right, like in Lawrence of Arabia.
  2. Movies like Lawrence of Arabia can have strong timeless vibes, similar to works by Stanley Kubrick.
  3. Criticism of a film may change over time, like with Doctor Zhivago, teaching us that focusing on a film's strengths can matter more.

First principles on AI scaling

1 HN point • 06 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Data Compute Language Models Innovation
  1. Using scaling laws can help predict how much better language models will get with more computational power or data.
  2. The majority of the error in language models comes from limited data, rather than limited model size.
  3. To improve language models significantly, more data and compute are needed, but there may be a limit to how much more can be added with current technology.

My attempted cult recruitment

2 HN points • 05 Apr 22
  1. The author encountered a suspicious encounter in a cafe where they were targeted for potential recruitment into a cult.
  2. The group they met used deliberate manipulation tactics to engage the author in deep conversations and gradually push them towards joining their organization.
  3. The experience made the author question the ethical boundaries between sensibly influencing people's decisions and manipulative tactics to recruit for a cult.

Political polarization is partly a sample bias illusion

0 implied HN points • 19 Aug 21
  1. Most people support leftist/Democratic positions on issues.
  2. Registered voters lean more right-leaning, except on assault weapons.
  3. People who engage with politics online tend to be more polarized than others.

Alcohol, health, and the ruthless logic of the Asian flush

0 implied HN points • 30 May 21
  1. Drinking too much alcohol is not good for your health, even small amounts can have risks.
  2. Some East Asians struggle with alcohol due to genetic variants that make acetaldehyde accumulate.
  3. Constraints on freedom can sometimes be necessary for personal safety, like using biological interventions to prevent alcohol consumption.

A review of early split-brain animal experiments

0 implied HN points • 17 Jun 21
  1. Early split-brain experiments on animals showed some weird and fascinating results.
  2. Interpretations of these experiments can be biased, so focusing on the actual facts is important.
  3. Cutting the corpus callosum in animals affected their ability to perform tasks needing communication between brain hemispheres.