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There is a classic Slate Star Codex post/short story about whether DMT entities can do math: https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/04/21/universal-love-said-the-cactu

There is a classic Slate Star Codex post/short story about whether DMT entities can do math: https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/04/21/universal-love-said-the-cactus-person/ https://slatestarcodex.com/2015/04/21/universal-love-said-th...

CarelessExpert 6y ago
So, I've not read any of SSC, though obviously the news lately has made me aware of him. But this? This is pure genius. Thank you for the link! So many laugh out loud moments. I particularly enjoyed '“I demand a better answer than that,” I demanded.'
- anchpop 6y ago
  Scott is fond of sentences like that, especially with puns thrown in. I have no idea how he's so good at coming up with them. They took me a moment to understand so I'll explain with an example from this page [0]: “I’m not going to make a deathbed conversion,” Tom said diagnostically. The sentence indicates that Tom is dying and not currently religious, and the word "diagnostically" sounds like a mixture between "die" and "agnostic". They aren't quite funny when explained but when you spend 3 minutes trying to figure one out before it slaps you in the face it's a very good time [0]: https://slatestarcodex.com/tag/tom-swifties/ https://slatestarcodex.com/tag/tom-swifties/ More examples: “I went rock-climbing with my girlfriend,” Tom updated. “The defibrillator worked!” Tom said, repulsed. “My karate instructor died,” Tom said, desensitized.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    Woah. I never got most of the jokes on that post when I first read it. Now it's all obvious (and fun, finally). Thanks!
awb 6y ago
> “Right,” I said. “We’ll have more transcendent joy if you help me out and factor the number than if you just sit there being spiritual and enigmatic.” This is hilarious :) Especially when you think of the entities he's arguing with as different aspects of his own consciousness. There's parts of all of us that want to pursue knowledge of the world around us and those parts that want to pursue our emotions and knowing ourselves.

CarelessExpert 6y ago

So, I've not read any of SSC, though obviously the news lately has made me aware of him. But this? This is pure genius. Thank you for the link! So many laugh out loud moments. I particularly enjoyed '“I demand a better answer than that,” I demanded.'

anchpop 6y ago
Scott is fond of sentences like that, especially with puns thrown in. I have no idea how he's so good at coming up with them. They took me a moment to understand so I'll explain with an example from this page [0]: “I’m not going to make a deathbed conversion,” Tom said diagnostically. The sentence indicates that Tom is dying and not currently religious, and the word "diagnostically" sounds like a mixture between "die" and "agnostic". They aren't quite funny when explained but when you spend 3 minutes trying to figure one out before it slaps you in the face it's a very good time [0]: https://slatestarcodex.com/tag/tom-swifties/ https://slatestarcodex.com/tag/tom-swifties/ More examples: “I went rock-climbing with my girlfriend,” Tom updated. “The defibrillator worked!” Tom said, repulsed. “My karate instructor died,” Tom said, desensitized.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  Woah. I never got most of the jokes on that post when I first read it. Now it's all obvious (and fun, finally). Thanks!

awb 6y ago

> “Right,” I said. “We’ll have more transcendent joy if you help me out and factor the number than if you just sit there being spiritual and enigmatic.” This is hilarious :) Especially when you think of the entities he's arguing with as different aspects of his own consciousness. There's parts of all of us that want to pursue knowledge of the world around us and those parts that want to pursue our emotions and knowing ourselves.