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"we don't know if that data is actually any good" We know the data survived a narrative/biological co-evolution distributed process spanning thousands of gener

"we don't know if that data is actually any good" We know the data survived a narrative/biological co-evolution distributed process spanning thousands of generations over many millennia. It doesn't make it perfect, but it makes it pretty darn good with high likelihood, especially when compared with narrative complexes invented yesterday, which have yet to withstand the test of time and which show measurable signs of dysfunction. See also the Lindy effect, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect "the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things, like a technology or an idea, is proportional to their current age"

logicprog 3y ago
> We know the data survived a narrative/biological co-evolution distributed process spanning thousands of generations over many millennia. It doesn't make it perfect, but it makes it pretty darn good with high likelihood, This is fallacious. Already responded to this at length. > which have yet to withstand the test of time and which show measurable signs of dysfunction. Unlike the older traditions, which manifestly have horrible dysfunctions and consequences for a lot of people in a lot of areas. Should we never try to fix and improve those failings because we "dont know what might happen"? Or is that unknown worth it to actually have a shot at really making things better? Why are we acting like we can't have a reasonable idea of how good or bad an idea is based on reasoning through the idea, why is the null hypothesis that any societal change could cause civilizational collapse when there's no evidence of that? It's like the people constantly claiming gay marriage will cause the collapse of western civilization. Also, why are we weighing the known horrors of our inherited traditions so lightly you barely even acknowledge them, so much more lightly than the vague, unknown disasters of... civil rights or gay marriage. Who knows what disasters letting women vote or have their own bank accounts or get jobs might bring! The horror! > See also the Lindy effect, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect "the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things, like a technology or an idea, is proportional to their current age" Lasts a long time =/= good.
- vintermann 3y ago
  The question is, good for what. I think that text in rare languages, and ancient texts, are priceless for our ability to understand ourselves, and by extension, to get a better understanding of our own wants. In other words, to get a better grip on the what we're trying to achieve with any of this.

logicprog 3y ago

> We know the data survived a narrative/biological co-evolution distributed process spanning thousands of generations over many millennia. It doesn't make it perfect, but it makes it pretty darn good with high likelihood, This is fallacious. Already responded to this at length. > which have yet to withstand the test of time and which show measurable signs of dysfunction. Unlike the older traditions, which manifestly have horrible dysfunctions and consequences for a lot of people in a lot of areas. Should we never try to fix and improve those failings because we "dont know what might happen"? Or is that unknown worth it to actually have a shot at really making things better? Why are we acting like we can't have a reasonable idea of how good or bad an idea is based on reasoning through the idea, why is the null hypothesis that any societal change could cause civilizational collapse when there's no evidence of that? It's like the people constantly claiming gay marriage will cause the collapse of western civilization. Also, why are we weighing the known horrors of our inherited traditions so lightly you barely even acknowledge them, so much more lightly than the vague, unknown disasters of... civil rights or gay marriage. Who knows what disasters letting women vote or have their own bank accounts or get jobs might bring! The horror! > See also the Lindy effect, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindy_effect "the future life expectancy of some non-perishable things, like a technology or an idea, is proportional to their current age" Lasts a long time =/= good.

vintermann 3y ago
The question is, good for what. I think that text in rare languages, and ancient texts, are priceless for our ability to understand ourselves, and by extension, to get a better understanding of our own wants. In other words, to get a better grip on the what we're trying to achieve with any of this.