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I think the ability for humans to build seemingly straight-forward and simple tools or building blocks that other humans then go on to create insanely complex t

I think the ability for humans to build seemingly straight-forward and simple tools or building blocks that other humans then go on to create insanely complex things like this with is what sets us apart from every other species in existence.

Technically 6y ago
This isn't super meaningful because "complex" is relative to the baseline of your species. What you consider complex is considerably different from what, say, a beaver considers complex—I'd much rather trust a beaver to make a beaver-dam than a human. I conclude from this is that it's the line rider itself that is beyond the capacity of most species, not the composition, which is of incalculable marginal complexity compared to beavers first inventing Line Rider before moving on to make dams. Not a great move, if I do dare to put myself in the flippers of a beaver—you'd have to invent language first, which must be a rather arduous task compared to doing what your parents and instincts teach you. FWIW I have much greater hopes for humanity than this dedication to a line rider map. One day we'll intelligently compose into stopping global warming, I swear!
asxd 6y ago
I really appreciate this line of thought. It can be easy to brush stuff like this off as frivolous, but when you look at it from a more primitive perspective, it really is amazing, and it truly seems to me like art
- purplecats 6y ago
  "art" is the most basic common denominator that something can be called, and such a claim can not be challenged. i think this was a monumental waste of time -- sorry art. he (pretty confident gender assumption) should have done something more productive for 11 years.
  - scanny 6y ago
    « Should have done something more productive » Why?
    - SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago
      The capitalism machine demands that your free time be used for something monetizable. Since this project has no commercial value it must be worthless.
      - tacitusarc 6y ago
        You can't monetize the video?
        otde 6y ago
        Line Rider can be a source of income. My Line Rider Review cohost Bevibel, the creator of the 50-minute full-album track This Will Destroy you (ref https://youtu.be/qasxqKScOfY https://youtu.be/qasxqKScOfY), does commissions full time in addition to their personal projects. Sometimes it’s small clients, sometimes it’s Disney. Helped them out with a music video for Guster once after the band saw a track they had already made to one of their songs. It’s a fun niche market.
        deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
  - siftyy 6y ago
    It has been said time and time again, but I'll reiterate that time spent having fun is not time wasted. While many of the hackernews readers would like to think that we are machines, we aren't. I'm sure you've wasted lots of time on certain things over the years, so why the snide comment?
    - hombre_fatal 6y ago
      I’d replace “having fun” with “doing something fulfilling”. It has the same subjectivity but hits closer to why we regret some things and not others. Surfing is fun and fulfilling to me where cocaine is only fun but unfulfilling.
  - opinion-is-bad 6y ago
    That the author wasted their time is purely your opinion, and really adds nothing to the conversation here. Why insult someone for doing something you don’t find interesting?
    - otde 6y ago
      A lot of line rider folks get this kind of reaction. I truly think there’s some kind of insecurity that gets triggered in people when they see someone doing something intricate and esoteric with obvious passion. Is it a jealousy at not finding such a passion, or for being unable to dedicate sufficient time to make something of a similar scale? Is it that they see such passion as wasted because the subject in question doesn’t match their own interest? Do they not believe it is deserving of the eyes that are on it now? You can speculate, but at the end of the day, making something, and showing it to the world like this, is an extreme vulnerability. The act of making something is often as valuable as the result itself.
      - crehn 6y ago
        I do believe it is to some degree jealousy. Everybody understands the scarcity and power of passion; what’s work for some is love for others. When you compound a lack of passion, insecurity and bad human character, it’s not surprising to have reactions similar to purplecats’ above.
southeastern 6y ago
That, and shark week.
vmception 6y ago
When Octopus realize they don't have to starve themselves to death when they are 3 years old that will be the end of our reign.
- adrianN 6y ago
  You can actually prevent them from starving themselves by destroying a small part in their brain.
  - vmception 6y ago
    Strange! Anywhere I can read more about that? And ideally the study about how they figured that out!
    - adrianN 6y ago
      https://science.sciencemag.org/content/198/4320/948 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/198/4320/948 and a more recent one https://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/19/jeb185751 https://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/19/jeb185751
- jyriand 6y ago
  Funny coincidence, I was just reading "Sphere" by Michael Crichton, and the zoologist in the novel was presenting the same argument about the the intelligence of octopuses. Side-note, this book is driving me crazy, the characters seem to be the dumbest persons alive, although they supposed to be the smartest scientists.
- joijoiwejrr 6y ago
  From Wikipedia: > Octopus lifespan is limited by reproduction: males can live for only a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch. ... Octopus reproductive organs mature due to the hormonal influence of the optic gland but result in the inactivation of their digestive glands, typically causing the octopus to die from starvation. Experimental removal of both optic glands after spawning was found to result in the cessation of broodiness, the resumption of feeding, increased growth, and greatly extended lifespans. TIL
Taek 6y ago
Agreed. It's not an innate intelligence that makes us stand out. It's our capacity to share our intelligence and build upon solutions from friends, parents, and many generations of ancestors.

Technically 6y ago

This isn't super meaningful because "complex" is relative to the baseline of your species. What you consider complex is considerably different from what, say, a beaver considers complex—I'd much rather trust a beaver to make a beaver-dam than a human. I conclude from this is that it's the line rider itself that is beyond the capacity of most species, not the composition, which is of incalculable marginal complexity compared to beavers first inventing Line Rider before moving on to make dams. Not a great move, if I do dare to put myself in the flippers of a beaver—you'd have to invent language first, which must be a rather arduous task compared to doing what your parents and instincts teach you. FWIW I have much greater hopes for humanity than this dedication to a line rider map. One day we'll intelligently compose into stopping global warming, I swear!

asxd 6y ago

I really appreciate this line of thought. It can be easy to brush stuff like this off as frivolous, but when you look at it from a more primitive perspective, it really is amazing, and it truly seems to me like art

purplecats 6y ago
"art" is the most basic common denominator that something can be called, and such a claim can not be challenged. i think this was a monumental waste of time -- sorry art. he (pretty confident gender assumption) should have done something more productive for 11 years.
- scanny 6y ago
  « Should have done something more productive » Why?
  - SulfurHexaFluri 6y ago
    The capitalism machine demands that your free time be used for something monetizable. Since this project has no commercial value it must be worthless.
    - tacitusarc 6y ago
      You can't monetize the video?
      - otde 6y ago
        Line Rider can be a source of income. My Line Rider Review cohost Bevibel, the creator of the 50-minute full-album track This Will Destroy you (ref https://youtu.be/qasxqKScOfY https://youtu.be/qasxqKScOfY), does commissions full time in addition to their personal projects. Sometimes it’s small clients, sometimes it’s Disney. Helped them out with a music video for Guster once after the band saw a track they had already made to one of their songs. It’s a fun niche market.
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
- siftyy 6y ago
  It has been said time and time again, but I'll reiterate that time spent having fun is not time wasted. While many of the hackernews readers would like to think that we are machines, we aren't. I'm sure you've wasted lots of time on certain things over the years, so why the snide comment?
  - hombre_fatal 6y ago
    I’d replace “having fun” with “doing something fulfilling”. It has the same subjectivity but hits closer to why we regret some things and not others. Surfing is fun and fulfilling to me where cocaine is only fun but unfulfilling.
- opinion-is-bad 6y ago
  That the author wasted their time is purely your opinion, and really adds nothing to the conversation here. Why insult someone for doing something you don’t find interesting?
  - otde 6y ago
    A lot of line rider folks get this kind of reaction. I truly think there’s some kind of insecurity that gets triggered in people when they see someone doing something intricate and esoteric with obvious passion. Is it a jealousy at not finding such a passion, or for being unable to dedicate sufficient time to make something of a similar scale? Is it that they see such passion as wasted because the subject in question doesn’t match their own interest? Do they not believe it is deserving of the eyes that are on it now? You can speculate, but at the end of the day, making something, and showing it to the world like this, is an extreme vulnerability. The act of making something is often as valuable as the result itself.
    - crehn 6y ago
      I do believe it is to some degree jealousy. Everybody understands the scarcity and power of passion; what’s work for some is love for others. When you compound a lack of passion, insecurity and bad human character, it’s not surprising to have reactions similar to purplecats’ above.

southeastern 6y ago

That, and shark week.

vmception 6y ago

When Octopus realize they don't have to starve themselves to death when they are 3 years old that will be the end of our reign.

adrianN 6y ago
You can actually prevent them from starving themselves by destroying a small part in their brain.
- vmception 6y ago
  Strange! Anywhere I can read more about that? And ideally the study about how they figured that out!
  - adrianN 6y ago
    https://science.sciencemag.org/content/198/4320/948 https://science.sciencemag.org/content/198/4320/948 and a more recent one https://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/19/jeb185751 https://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/19/jeb185751
jyriand 6y ago
Funny coincidence, I was just reading "Sphere" by Michael Crichton, and the zoologist in the novel was presenting the same argument about the the intelligence of octopuses. Side-note, this book is driving me crazy, the characters seem to be the dumbest persons alive, although they supposed to be the smartest scientists.
joijoiwejrr 6y ago
From Wikipedia: > Octopus lifespan is limited by reproduction: males can live for only a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch. ... Octopus reproductive organs mature due to the hormonal influence of the optic gland but result in the inactivation of their digestive glands, typically causing the octopus to die from starvation. Experimental removal of both optic glands after spawning was found to result in the cessation of broodiness, the resumption of feeding, increased growth, and greatly extended lifespans. TIL

Taek 6y ago

Agreed. It's not an innate intelligence that makes us stand out. It's our capacity to share our intelligence and build upon solutions from friends, parents, and many generations of ancestors.