"What is the use of having developed a science well enough to make predictions if, in the end, all we're willing to do is stand around and wait for them to come true?" F. SHERWOOD HOWLAND in his speech accepting the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995.
"Once upon a time on Tralfamadore there were creatures who weren’t anything like machines. They weren’t dependable. They weren’t efficient. They weren’t predictable. They weren’t durable. And these poor creatures were obsessed by the idea that everything that existed had to have a purpose, and that some purposes were higher than others. These creatures spent most of their time trying to find out what their purpose was. And every time they found out what seemed to be a purpose of themselves, the purpose seemed so low that the creatures were filled with disgust and shame. And, rather than serve such [...]
First published:
December 20th, 2024
Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/PKoGicBvbomuBzJYE/the-nihilism-of-neurips)
---
Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO).
