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It is, but we run into the barrier of expected utility. What is a better thing for me to learn: how to scale rails apps, or how to construct a solar panel from

It is, but we run into the barrier of expected utility. What is a better thing for me to learn: how to scale rails apps, or how to construct a solar panel from iron age technology? Don't get me wrong, both are awesome. Absent a working time machine or the ability to leap into a novel or Z-Day, however, only the former will have any benefit for me.

evincarofautumn 15y ago
Time travel could be impossible, but the end of the world could be right around the corner. I’m not a doomsdayer, but I do think it’d be fun to contribute my brains to a survival group. Better than contributing them to a zombie’s maw, wouldn’t you say?
- redthrowaway 15y ago
  How far down the rabbit hole do we go, and how much of my irredeemable nerdiness am I willing to admit to? If we're talking Z-Day, then the most economical solution seems to be either to buy and convert an old mine, or to grab an old nuclear silo[1]. Either way, one could reasonably assume that a full, automated backup of Wikipedia and other helpful sites would be stored on local servers. If you're not a member of the "I can buy Minuteman silos, whatever bro" club, then your currency is best spent on ammunition and the pre-determination of likely gathering points. If, in the unlikely event that you're just a nerd putzing around on the Internet when you should be doing Real Work, you have access to none of these, then I suggest you move quickly towards a zombie-proof survival plan. [1] http://www.missilebases.com/properties http://www.missilebases.com/properties
pjscott 15y ago
Learning to make charcoal in bulk or blow glass are valuable purely for entertainment: it's not likely to be useful to you, but you'll have fun doing it. On the other hand, this was also my motive for learning about things that later turned out to have really high expected utility, like the concept of "expected utility".

evincarofautumn 15y ago

Time travel could be impossible, but the end of the world could be right around the corner. I’m not a doomsdayer, but I do think it’d be fun to contribute my brains to a survival group. Better than contributing them to a zombie’s maw, wouldn’t you say?

redthrowaway 15y ago
How far down the rabbit hole do we go, and how much of my irredeemable nerdiness am I willing to admit to? If we're talking Z-Day, then the most economical solution seems to be either to buy and convert an old mine, or to grab an old nuclear silo[1]. Either way, one could reasonably assume that a full, automated backup of Wikipedia and other helpful sites would be stored on local servers. If you're not a member of the "I can buy Minuteman silos, whatever bro" club, then your currency is best spent on ammunition and the pre-determination of likely gathering points. If, in the unlikely event that you're just a nerd putzing around on the Internet when you should be doing Real Work, you have access to none of these, then I suggest you move quickly towards a zombie-proof survival plan. [1] http://www.missilebases.com/properties http://www.missilebases.com/properties

pjscott 15y ago

Learning to make charcoal in bulk or blow glass are valuable purely for entertainment: it's not likely to be useful to you, but you'll have fun doing it. On the other hand, this was also my motive for learning about things that later turned out to have really high expected utility, like the concept of "expected utility".