Welcome

An intro to this blog in easily-digestible list form

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that people like bullet points. So here’s an introduction to this blog (style, content, structure), in the genre of a list:

• For the next while, I intend to write several articles on AI. For a sample, check out this piece comparing the complexity of AI and the human brain (essentially arguing that both AI excitement and doomerism are based on an underestimation of humanity).

• I’ve been accused of being overly conflictual, and feel conflicted about that. I do get into a lot of fights, they do tend to blow up my life. On the other hand, when I over-manage my communication things get boring.

• I’m addicted to controversy, especially of the political bent. Obsessed with gender politics, but determined to avoid ideological capture. Basically I think everyone is wrong, and have only the sketchiest sense of what “right” might look like. I’m in a similar “everyone sucks” place when it comes to Israel-Palestine. I intend to write more on these topics once I can land on something vaguely original and positive.

• I’m not an Anarchist, but I hold both Anarchist cards. Spent eight years as a dedicated Anarcho-communist, and hung out a bunch in Mexico with conspiracy-minded “ancaps.” Both are wise in their own ways and wrong in their own ways.

• Philosophically I’m a substance dualist: I believe there’s a second “thing” along the lines of consciousness/idea/mind/spirit that’s metaphysically real and interacts with this world. I intend to champion that perspective here, but also explore doubts I’ve been struggling with lately.

• I’m a ho for aesthetics. I know ethics should be more important, but I’m not convinced anything can be good if it’s not beautiful. That being said, truth can definitely be ugly, and still it must be faced.

• I’m a Canadian who spends a lot of time in the US and Mexico, currently immigrating to both countries. As anyone who’s spent time with me knows, one of my favorite pastimes is comparing Canada to other places and monologuing about its flaws. I intend to do some of that here, hopefully not gratuitously.

• Big into science, but more so the little-s science of method, rather than the Big-S Science of results. Big-S is fun but likely wrong in major ways, as it has and will always be. This blog will include healthy doses of each.

• Other areas of interest include military history, psychedelics, Nietzsche, Jungian psychology, the English language, transhumanism, and celebrity gossip.

• Starting in July, my goal is to post fresh content weekly.

If this resonates, great. I’ll leave a subscribe button here: