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Jul 13, 2022
acx

Book Review: The Man From The Future

42 min • 5,840 words • 449 comments • 246 likes • podcast (38 min)
Scott reviews a biography of John von Neumann, exploring the mathematician's life, genius, and views on existential risk from technology. Longer summary
This post reviews 'The Man From The Future', a biography of John von Neumann by Ananyo Bhattacharya. It covers von Neumann's early life and education in Hungary, his extraordinary intellectual abilities, his work on various scientific fields, and his views on existential risks from technology. The review explores theories about why so many geniuses emerged from Hungary in the early 20th century, details von Neumann's personality and social skills, and discusses his controversial views on nuclear war. It ends with von Neumann's thoughts on how humanity might survive the dangers of rapid technological progress. Shorter summary
Apr 01, 2020
ssc

Book Review: The Precipice

39 min • 5,435 words • 511 comments • podcast (35 min)
Scott Alexander reviews Toby Ord's 'The Precipice', a book about existential risks to humanity, noting Ord's careful analysis and surprisingly low risk estimates while emphasizing the importance of addressing these risks. Longer summary
This book review discusses Toby Ord's 'The Precipice', which examines existential risks to humanity. The review outlines Ord's arguments for taking these risks seriously, his analysis of specific risks like nuclear war and AI, and his recommendations for addressing them. The reviewer notes Ord's careful statistical reasoning and surprisingly low risk estimates for many scenarios, while still emphasizing the overall importance of mitigating existential risks. The review concludes by reflecting on Ord's perspective and the appropriate response to even seemingly small risks of human extinction. Shorter summary
Dec 17, 2019
ssc

[ACC] Should We Colonize Space To Mitigate X-Risk?

29 min • 4,000 words • 195 comments • podcast (30 min)
The post compares space colonization and terrestrial lifeboats as X-risk mitigation strategies, concluding that space colonies may offer better long-term survival guarantees despite higher costs. Longer summary
This post discusses the merits of colonizing space versus creating terrestrial lifeboats as strategies to mitigate existential risks (X-risks) to humanity. The authors, Nick D and Rob S, compare the costs, feasibility, and effectiveness of off-world colonies and Earth-based closed systems. They explore the challenges and benefits of each approach, including isolation from global catastrophes, technological requirements, and potential for research and economic opportunities. The collaboration concludes that while terrestrial lifeboats are more cost-effective and easier to implement, space colonies might offer better long-term guarantees for human survival due to the difficulty of abandoning them. Shorter summary
Aug 26, 2014
ssc

If The Media Reported On Other Dangers Like It Does AI Risk

3 min • 402 words • 68 comments
Scott satirizes media reporting on AI risk by presenting exaggerated or misrepresented coverage of other potential dangers, highlighting issues in risk reporting. Longer summary
This post satirizes media reporting on AI risk by presenting exaggerated or misrepresented coverage of other potential dangers. Scott uses a series of fictional news snippets to highlight common issues in risk reporting, such as sensationalism, downplaying serious threats, misplaced focus, and inappropriate tone. The examples cover various topics including terrorism, climate change, nuclear war, economic crises, natural disasters, and geopolitical conflicts. The post critiques media tendencies to either overstate or understate risks, misrepresent expert opinions, or focus on irrelevant details while missing the bigger picture. Shorter summary