Are cryptocurrencies useful? Updated +Created
Cryptocurrencies have two applications:
The key difficulties of cryptocurrencies are:
If crypto really takes off, 99.99% of people will still only ever use it through some cryptocurrency exchange (unless scalability problems are solved, and they replace fiat currencies entirely), since downloading full blockchains is unfeasible, so the outcome would be very similar to PayPal, and without "true" decentralization.
For those reasons, Ciro Santilli instead believes that governments should issue electronic money, and maintain an open API that all can access instead. The centralized service will always be cheaper for society to maintain than any distributed service, and it will still allow for proper taxation.
Ciro believes that it is easy for people to be seduced by the idealistic promise that "cryptocurrency will make the world more fair and equal by giving everyone equal opportunities, away from the corruption of Governments". Such optimism that new technologies will solve certain key social problems without the need for constant government intervention and management is not new, as shown e.g. at HyperNormalisation by Adam Curtis (2016) when he talks about the cyberspace (when the Internet was just beginning): youtu.be/fh2cDKyFdyU?t=2375. Technologies can make our lives better. But in general, some of them also have to be managed.
In any case, cryptocurrencies are bullshit, the true currency of the future is going to be Magic: The Gathering cards. And Cirocoin.
One closely related thing that Ciro Santilli does think could be interesting exploring right now however, notably when having Monero-like anonymity in mind, would be anonymous electronic voting, which is a pre-requisite to make direct democracy convenient so people can vote more often.
TODO evaluate the possible application of cryptocurrency for international transfers:Of course, the ideal solution would be for governments to just allow for people from other countries to create accounts in their country, and use the centralized API just like citizens. Having an account of some sort is of course fundamental to avoid money laundering/tax evasion, be it on the API, or when you are going to cash out the crypto into fiat. So then the question becomes: suppose that governments are shit and never make such APIs, are international transfers just because traditional banks are inefficient/greedy? Or is it because of the inevitable cost of auditing transfers? E.g. how does TransferWise compare to Bitcoin these days? And if cryptocurrency is more desirable, why wouldn't TransferWise just use it as their backend, and reach very similar fees?
Convergent series Updated +Created
Creative Commons license Updated +Created
Training and inference Updated +Created
This is the first thing you have to know about supervised learning:
Both of those already have hardware acceleration available as of the 2010s.
Strategic nuclear weapon Updated +Created
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman chapter Alfred Nobel's Other Mistake Updated +Created
Key quote that names the chapter:
My friend Matt Sands was once going to write a book to be called Alfred Nobel's Other Mistake.
Surfing with the Alien by Joe Satriani (1987) Updated +Created
System of linear equations algorithm Updated +Created
Tactical nuclear weapon Updated +Created
Application of systems of linear equations Updated +Created
No 2x2 examples please. I'm talking about large matrices that would be used in supercomputers.
Army of the shadows (1969) Updated +Created
One of the most nerve wrecking movies ever made. Until they decide to rescue their colleague from jail, then it just becomes too surreal.
D and L amino acids Updated +Created
Usually noted D-something, L-something, e.g. L-alanine, D-glutamine.
Division ring Updated +Created
Two ways to see it:
Terminal multiplexers are CLI desktop environments Updated +Created
If we didn't have GUIs, terminal multiplexers would be our desktop environments. E.g. they handle stuff like:
  • window switching
  • copy pasting across windows
  • screen locking
  • clock on the status bar (same one that holds tabs)
It is a thing of beauty.
Neuro-symbolic AI Updated +Created
An IBM made/pushed term, but that matches Ciro Santilli's general view of how we should move forward AGI.
Ciro's motivation/push for this can be seen e.g. at: Ciro's 2D reinforcement learning games.
Ciro's Edict #8 / Next steps Updated +Created
Editor. As last time. And the one before. But now it is for real.
I guess ended up doing all the "how things should look like" features because they clarify what the website is supposed to do, and I already have my own content to bring it alive via ourbigbook --web upload.
But now I honestly feel that all the major elements of "how things should look like" have fallen into place.
And yeah, nobody else is never going to contribute as things are! WYSIWYG is a must.
I was really impressed by Trillium Notes. I should have checked it long ago. The UI is amazing, and being all Js-based, could potentially be reused for our purposes. The project itself is a single-person/full trust notetaking only for now however, so not a direct replacement to OurBigBook.
Variety Jones Updated +Created
2015 The Variety Show On the trail of the man believed to be Variety Jones, one of the architects of the defunct drug marketplace Silk Road. www.vice.com/en/article/wnx5qn/the-variety-show
www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/file/797251/download some kind of case file of his trial.
The curious thing about VJ is that he actually has some culture and says cool things, e.g.:
IRL - is there anyone with a clue at all? Girlfriend, boyfriend, bunny you talk to, online buddy's who you've know for years? Gramma, priest, rabbi, stripper?
ASCII Updated +Created

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