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I have no idea why 80,000 Hours is taken seriously. What real experience do they have in public policy?

• mowenz 9y ago
  Experience in public policy? It's a political field to be in, not a meritocratic one. In other words, you cant just come along, open up shop, and build a better widget and take over the market. We'd need multiple simulations of earth to be realistcially competitive and scientific about this.
• henryaj 9y ago
  From https://80000hours.org/articles/cause-selection/ https://80000hours.org/articles/cause-selection/: > We’ve been ... drawing together research from the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute; the Open Philanthropy Project (a foundation with billions of dollars of committed funds); the Copenhagen Consensus Center (a major think tank); and other groups. It's not as though their analysis is pulled out of thin air.
  • rspeer 9y ago
    I assume the "University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute" means Nick Bostrom. I read his book by now. It is not the unimpeachable revelation that everyone makes it out to be. His view of the future is built on several weak leaps of logic. The Open Philantropy Project is also unproven and the first anyone heard of them was when they made the news for deciding that one of the world's most deserving charities is the roommate of one of its founders. The Copenhagen Consensus Center is a major think tank best known for downplaying climate change. I can see why they would provide validation to a bunch of tech bros who are also unconcerned about climate change because they're concerned about the sci-fi robocalypse. You might as well have just listed Less Wrong on there. I trust none of these people to decide how to change the world. Sorry.