Maximum Effort, Minimum Reward

Maximum Effort, Minimum Reward explores eclectic topics with humor and depth. It delves into historical linguistics, quantum mechanics applied to unusual subjects, peculiar takes on everyday science, analyses of video games from an academic perspective, and speculative interpretations of social phenomena. It encourages active engagement with spam, history, and the quirks of the imperial measurement system.

Humor in Communication Historical Linguistics Quantum Mechanics Science & Mathematics Video Game Analysis Social & Cultural Commentary History & Mythology Physics Applications

The hottest Substack posts of Maximum Effort, Minimum Reward

And their main takeaways

Destroying the World is a Difficult Problem

255 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🕹 Technology AI Science Engineering Philosophy Ethics
  1. There's a big difference between theorists and experimentalists in science. Theorists think a lot about ideas, while experimentalists deal with the real-world messiness of experiments.
  2. Many fears about AI being super dangerous come from theorists who underestimate the practical challenges. Even super smart AIs will face real-life problems that slow them down.
  3. Destroying the world is actually hard and takes time. Even if an AI is super intelligent, making big changes in reality is complicated and can't happen instantly.

The Fall of Democracy is a Markov Process

383 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Government Systems Historical Analysis Democracy Governance
  1. Political systems can change between different types, like moving from democracy to tyranny. This pattern has been studied using historical data from ancient Greek city-states.
  2. The concept of 'anacyclosis' describes how governments can cycle through forms of rule, leading to predictable changes over time. It suggests that democracies can end up in tyrannical rule.
  3. Having a mix of government types can create stability. The Roman Republic is seen as an example of this mixed constitution, combining elements of democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy.

The Bookmarks Bin, September 2023

191 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🔬 Science Language
  1. Compile and share interesting links from your browser bookmarks.
  2. Explore various topics like history, language, and math through online resources and blogs.
  3. Learn about different mathematical and physics concepts through detailed tutorials and guides.
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A Lukewarm Defense of Imperial Units

255 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
🔬 Science Measurements Cooking Physics
  1. The metric system is more standardized and scientifically relevant than imperial units.
  2. Celsius temperature scale is argued to be worse than Fahrenheit for scientific accuracy.
  3. Body-based units like inches and feet can be useful, especially when estimating distances without a ruler.

Top 16 History-Adjacent Podcasts of 2023

191 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🎙 Podcasts History Comedy
  1. The article lists top history-adjacent podcasts of 2023, focusing on lesser-known podcasts deserving recognition.
  2. The podcasts range from deep dives into specific historical topics to comedic conversations about history.
  3. Listeners are encouraged to explore and share more recommendations in the comments.

The Devil and the Cerulean Sweater

127 implied HN points • 21 Oct 23
🔬 Science Physics Color Theory Atmospheric science Optics
  1. The color cerulean comes from the Latin word for sky and should represent the color of the sky.
  2. Rayleigh scattering explains why the sky appears blue - shorter wavelengths scatter more.
  3. Calculating the color of Anne Hathaway's cerulean sweater using physics resulted in a color close to the original, proving Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada' was correct.

Scaling Problems in Social Control

75 HN points • 08 Feb 23
  1. Social control faces scaling problems, becoming more draconian and less nuanced as the number of people to control increases.
  2. Posting content on large subreddits results in less positive engagement and stricter moderation compared to smaller communities.
  3. Considering human biological and social limits, a theoretical maximum size for a group to maintain trust and effective communication is proposed to be around 300,000 people.

The Sibylline Oracles and the Last King of Rome

63 implied HN points • 17 Apr 23
💾 History Prophecy Religion Mythology
  1. Never underestimate the power of prophecies, like in the story of Tarquin the Proud and the Cumaean Sibyl.
  2. The Sibylline Oracles were consulted by the Romans during times of crisis, providing divine guidance for important decisions.
  3. Magic rituals and prophecies were a real and legislated part of ancient Roman society, with the Sibylline Books playing a significant role in governance.

Guinea Pigs are Fermions -- Part 1

2 HN points • 27 May 23
🔬 Science Quantum Mechanics Physics
  1. Guinea pigs exhibit fascinating confinement properties when residing in pigloos.
  2. The Pauli Exclusion Principle applies to guinea pigs, indicating they are fermions with half-integer spin.
  3. Creation and annihilation operators play a role in understanding the dynamics of guinea pigs in pigloos within the realm of quantum mechanics.

The Evolution of the Alphabet

1 HN point • 10 Mar 23
🚌 Education Language Writing Symbols Evolution
  1. Different writing systems vary by how they encode language, from logographic scripts to alphabets to syllabaries.
  2. Abjads, like Arabic and Hebrew, represent only consonants, while alphabets include both consonants and vowels.
  3. The evolution of alphabets can be traced back to a common ancestor, like Egyptian hieroglyphs, leading to scripts like Aramaic, Hebrew, and Arabic.