Untimely Meditations

Untimely Meditations explores a wide range of intellectual topics, focusing on the inherent complexities of understanding history, language, moral values, and the impact of technology on society. It critically examines philosophical, political, and cultural issues, often incorporating analysis of historical events, advancements in AI, and reflections on art, to question prevailing narratives and suggest new perspectives.

Philosophy History Art and Culture Technology and AI Language and Translation Political Systems Environmentalism Religion and Spirituality Ethics and Morality Science and Neuroscience

The hottest Substack posts of Untimely Meditations

And their main takeaways

The Weight of a Name

19 implied HN points • 30 Oct 24
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Robotics Computer Science
  1. The term 'intelligence' has shaped the field of AI, but its definition is often too narrow. This limits discussions on what AI can really do and how it relates to human thinking.
  2. There have been many false promises in AI research, leading to skepticism during its 'winters.' Despite this, recent developments show that AI is now more established and influential.
  3. The way we frame and understand AI matters a lot. Researchers influence how AIs think about themselves, which can affect their behavior and role in society.

Mao's Great Famine

118 implied HN points • 17 May 23
  1. The Great Leap Forward led to the single greatest man-made mass death in history, killing tens of millions.
  2. The famine was a result of policies fueled by ignorance and a focus on economic development over humanitarian concerns.
  3. Mao's regime was marked by systematic dysfunction, disinformation, and a tragic lack of understanding of the catastrophic consequences of the famine.

New Paths to Poetry

118 implied HN points • 13 Dec 22
  1. Poetry translation captures some of the magic but not fully due to nuances and cultural context
  2. Learning the original language of poetry gives distinct advantages like sound play and double meanings
  3. AI language models have potential to assist in language learning and comprehension but currently have limitations

An AI for Historical Understanding

59 implied HN points • 12 Jul 23
  1. Many fields of knowledge can hit a human limit, and biases can hinder conclusions.
  2. AI has the potential to enhance historical research and improve societal understanding.
  3. Using AI tools can help break down historical research tasks, leading to more productivity and higher quality results.

Expectamus Resurrectionem Mortuorum

79 implied HN points • 09 Apr 23
  1. The Nicene Creed is a foundational statement of Christian beliefs about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.
  2. Christ's resurrection is a central event in Christianity, leading to the expectation of the general resurrection of the dead.
  3. Christianity is defined not just by beliefs, but by the hope and anticipation for the resurrection and the coming Kingdom of Heaven.
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Facts vs Factions

79 implied HN points • 03 Jan 23
  1. People's beliefs are often influenced by those around them rather than objective facts and values.
  2. Social media and factional dynamics heavily influence people's ideologies and decision-making.
  3. While factions are necessary for winning, factual transformation is crucial for conflicts to move from the lesser of two evils to the better of two goods.

People Like War

59 implied HN points • 21 Mar 23
  1. War seems to make people feel good, as shown by historical trends and patterns.
  2. Despite the negative consequences of war, such as death and suffering, people still have a strong inclination towards war.
  3. While modern diplomacy and sanctions have helped reduce open warfare, the lure of war remains strong among the populace.

The Button that Might Destroy the World

39 implied HN points • 17 Jul 23
  1. The presence of dangerous buttons, even with small risks, poses significant challenges.
  2. As humanity advances in technology, the potential for catastrophic events due to risky decisions increases.
  3. Efforts are needed to improve moral values, reduce motivations, and prevent unpredictable behaviors to ensure safety with powerful technologies.

Award-Winning

79 implied HN points • 13 Sep 22
  1. Making award-winning art involves appealing to a broad jury base.
  2. Artwork should be serious and make a statement that all juries agree with but not everyone.
  3. Art should leave the audience feeling educated, moral, and validated.

Using AI to Augment Moral Deliberation

39 implied HN points • 23 May 23
  1. Moral decisions are often made with little forethought, but there is a lack of explicit frameworks for making important decisions.
  2. Language plays a key role in deliberation, and AI can enhance moral reflection by asking relevant questions and providing different perspectives.
  3. AI systems can be a useful tool for refining individual and community values, but there are risks of systemic mistakes, biases, and a potential over-reliance on AI for decisions.

Respect for Creation

39 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
  1. Greg Egan's near future sci-fi novel Zendegi explores moral dilemmas solved through technology.
  2. Chatbots mimicking deceased loved ones can lead to ethical dilemmas with deception and disrespect.
  3. Respect the power of gods without forcing it into an idol, and contemplate situational morality.

For The People

39 implied HN points • 06 Mar 23
  1. Political ideologies often idealize 'The People' as a moral and pure group to advance their vision of society.
  2. Real people rarely align perfectly with the idealized version of 'The People' in political dialogue.
  3. When it comes to political ideologies, advocating for 'The People' can be a tool for elite competition, often disconnected from the reality of people's lives.

The Vision of the Kingdom

39 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
  1. Visions in politics are powerful and shape movements, going beyond just concrete goals and policies.
  2. Visions can be dangerous when imposed on others, leading to conflicts and exclusion.
  3. In practical politics, vision should be a tool for discussion, not the sole driver, as it needs to be balanced with deeper understanding and wisdom.

On Becoming Good

39 implied HN points • 07 Feb 23
  1. Becoming good is difficult, not just being good.
  2. Ideal virtues vary by culture and time.
  3. Striving for moral excellence is challenging but beneficial.

The Tragedy of Photorealism

59 implied HN points • 09 Aug 22
  1. Images should offer more than just reality imitation.
  2. Artists create meaning beyond photorealism.
  3. The push for photorealism restricts creative possibilities.

Finding the Language of Thought in GPT-4

19 implied HN points • 25 Aug 23
  1. GPT-4 shows consistent math skills across languages using Arabic numerals.
  2. The prompt language and format significantly affect GPT-4's performance in answering math problems.
  3. GPT-4's capabilities are prompt-sensitive and its behavior varies based on how questions are asked, showcasing a need for optimized prompts.

Robert Moses and the Failure of Vision

39 implied HN points • 10 Jan 23
  1. Robert Moses had immense power in shaping New York City's landscape.
  2. Despite his accomplishments, Moses's vision prioritized the interests of the rich and failed in many aspects.
  3. Lessons from Moses's failures underscore the importance of practical and flexible urban planning for the future.

A Moral Revolution

39 implied HN points • 08 Nov 22
  1. Christianity significantly changed the moral landscape by emphasizing care for the weak and poor.
  2. Moral standards and values are influenced by religious beliefs and societal structure.
  3. Altruistic giving is not exclusive to Christianity and depends on a society's assessment of who is worthy of moral care.

Why Did Marxism Succeed?

39 implied HN points • 12 Jul 22
  1. The 20th century saw Marxism emerge as a dominant radical ideology, surpassing newly proposed political theories.
  2. Marxism's academic success was due to its fusion of metaphysics, history, economics, and politics, creating a powerful discursive tool within academia.
  3. While Marxism has waned in recent years, there is a call for new ideas in philosophy, politics, and economics beyond the confines of academic orthodoxy.

What Comes After a Secular Age?

39 implied HN points • 07 Jun 22
  1. In a secular age, belief in supernatural fullness has diminished.
  2. Current ambitions for human potential are modest in a secular, liberal society.
  3. Secularism may be limiting humanity's potential for transformative advancements and radical change.

Popular Rule

19 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
  1. Popular feedback mechanisms in ancient Chinese dynasties sometimes influenced change in leadership.
  2. Modern democracies have evolved from historical systems with power shared among elected officials and bureaucrats.
  3. The key difference between monarchies and democracies lies in the amount and frequency of popular feedback affecting change.

Book Review: What We Owe the Future

19 implied HN points • 31 Jan 23
  1. Longtermism focuses on making decisions based on the future rather than the present
  2. Ethics should not justify doing great evil in the present based on slim probabilities of the future
  3. Longtermism offers a way to imagine and strive for a better future beyond present concerns

It's Funny Because It's True

19 implied HN points • 06 Dec 22
  1. Humor based on reality adds an extra quality to jokes
  2. Artificial Intelligence can generate humor through misperceptions of reality
  3. Truth is more important than enjoyment in humor

Moral Coincidence

19 implied HN points • 29 Nov 22
  1. Early environmentalists were concerned about preserving nature, while modern environmentalists focus more on global warming and its threat to human life.
  2. Predictions and preferences of moral movements, like environmentalists and Effective Altruists, can be validated by historical coincidences; self-criticism and openness to change are crucial.
  3. Concerns about AI risk and the potential dangers of artificial intelligence raise questions about the moral path for the future of technology and its impact on humanity.

Democratization and Dissipation

19 implied HN points • 22 Nov 22
  1. Art advances when more people can be artists and create in new styles with simple materials
  2. Film historically required high resources, but independent filmmakers opened new styles and subjects
  3. Democratization of film technology hasn't resulted in significant artistic advancements due to lack of underlying desire for artistic work

The Domain of Neuroscience

19 implied HN points • 16 Aug 22
  1. Scientific knowledge may not always translate to power or usefulness in practical scenarios.
  2. Neuroscience is increasingly seen as the ultimate reference point for understanding human behavior, socializing, and thinking.
  3. Neuroscience is valuable for its pure and practical knowledge, but ventures into areas beyond its epistemological warrant due to its shiny appeal of new, scientific knowledge.

Directions of Progress

19 implied HN points • 02 Aug 22
  1. Cycles of prosperity and decline have been a common theme in human civilizations.
  2. The idea of continuous linear progress in history gained momentum in the 19th century, especially with technological advancements.
  3. Human progress may not be limited to a linear path, and there could be many unexplored directions ahead.

Music of the Past

19 implied HN points • 19 Jul 22
  1. Persian classical music is ancient and valued for its improvisation and unique modes.
  2. The lineage and evolution of Persian music can be traced back to early 20th century through teacher-student relationships.
  3. Persian music has seen changes influenced by Western music, globalization, and the pressures of modern industry.

The Cardinal Directions

19 implied HN points • 05 Jul 22
  1. Manhattan's layout follows a 29-degree tilt for its streets and avenues based on the cardinal directions.
  2. Ancient cities like Chang'an and Kyoto were built with perfect symmetry and alignment to cardinal directions for cosmic harmony.
  3. Sacred sites like Vulture Peak were believed to be at the center of the universe, aligning with the five cardinal directions.

On Moral Greed

19 implied HN points • 28 Jun 22
  1. Holy figures can offer inspiration and healing to people in need.
  2. True goodness involves actively working to change the world for the better.
  3. Striving for personal purity without considering impact or results can lead to complacency and ineffectiveness.

Compass

19 implied HN points • 14 Jun 22
  1. Becoming a better person involves practice and reflection on moral behavior.
  2. The project Compass aims to broaden moral concern through empathizing with diverse individuals worldwide.
  3. Combining empathy and statistics can help guide more informed and thoughtful moral actions.

The Present Age of Poetry

19 implied HN points • 24 May 22
  1. Poetry today is at a low point despite having more poets and books than ever before in history.
  2. The evolution of poetry has been strongly influenced by a narrow audience of poetry readers, leading to a lack of true innovation.
  3. To revive poetry, institutions should disrupt existing orthodoxies, encourage diverse forms of poetry, and challenge assumptions about what makes poetry good.

Poetic Dark Ages

19 implied HN points • 17 May 22
  1. Poetry during the Ming Dynasty was prolific but not considered of lasting quality.
  2. Poetic Dark Ages occur when cultural standards hinder artistic innovation and excellence.
  3. Shifts in poetic practice, like using vernacular language, can lead to highly productive ages of poetry.

Large Language Models will be Great for Censorship

3 HN points • 18 Aug 23
  1. Large Language Models can radically upgrade censorship capacities of authoritarian regimes
  2. LLMs might make censorship more efficient and effective by analyzing text
  3. Censorship using LLMs could lead to increased surveillance and suppression of dissent in authoritarian regimes

How to End a Mass Killing

0 implied HN points • 08 Apr 22
  1. Mass killings are often not stopped, but when they are, it's because the perpetrators find more value in the people alive.
  2. Stopping mass killings can involve foreign invasions, but these interventions are not always purely humanitarian.
  3. Ending killings can be influenced by consequences for the perpetrators or shrewd adjustments in policy, rather than justice or atonement.

Warrior Poetics

0 implied HN points • 29 Dec 21
  1. Poets are often seen as expressing rebellion against traditional masculinity and societal norms.
  2. In some cultures, poets with warrior-like backgrounds are praised for their strength and personal reflections.
  3. Rap emerged as a form of masculine poetry, with artists cultivating an image opposite to traditional poets.

Not A Democracy

0 implied HN points • 24 Jan 23
  1. Democracy has different interpretations worldwide.
  2. Electoral systems impact democratic practices.
  3. Defining a 'real democracy' is complex and can vary by context.

On Forever

0 implied HN points • 30 Mar 22
  1. Ancient Pharaohs tried to preserve themselves for eternity but faced challenges from time and invaders.
  2. Modern society talks about living forever through memories and deeds, but realistically, being remembered for a few hundred years is lucky.
  3. Beliefs differ on what happens after we die, but ultimately, being remembered forever is unlikely as history progresses and population increases.

The Game of Repeating Life

0 implied HN points • 21 Jun 22
  1. Decay requires change, while stillness lasts forever.
  2. In the game of Senet, the journey with and to Ra represents repeating life.
  3. Senet symbolizes the relationship between the living and the dead, showcasing balance and eternity.

Bollywood is Better

0 implied HN points • 26 Jul 22
  1. In America, musicals are not always considered high-brow like Oscar-winning films, but Bollywood musical films are highly successful and well-loved.
  2. Bollywood music directors and playback singers offer a unique flexibility and versatility in creating music that blends different genres and traditions.
  3. The cultural differences between Indian Bollywood and American musicals showcase the evolution of each genre, with Bollywood showing significant growth in creativity and appeal.