mrob

10 ms·

211.
by mrob 6mo ago
XFCE is saddled with its GTK requirement, and GTK gets worse with every version. Even though XFCE is still on GTK3, that's a big downgrade from GTK2 because it forces you to run Wayland if you don't want your GUI frame rate arbitr
212.
by mrob 6mo ago
The context is the simulated world, not the internal state. It can be freely edited without the LLM experiencing anything. The LLM itself never changes except during training (where I concede it could possibly be conscious, although I perso
213.
by mrob 6mo ago
Because (during inference) the LLM is reset after every token. Every human thought changes the thinker, but inference has no consequences at all. From the LLM's "point of view", time doesn't exist. This is the same as be
214.
by mrob 6mo ago
If the human is killed every 5 seconds and replaced by a new human, they are indeed less conscious. The LLM doesn't even get 5 seconds; it's "killed" after its smallest unit of computation (which is also its largest unit
215.
by mrob 6mo ago
Pseudocode for LLM inference: while (sampled_token != END_OF_TEXT) { probability_set = LLM(context_list) sampled_token = sampler(probability_set) context_list.append(sampled_token) } LLM() is a pure function. The on
216.
by mrob 6mo ago
"Minimize training loss while isolated from the environment" is not at all similar to "maximize replication of genes while physically interacting with the environment". Any human-like behavior observed from LLMs is built
217.
by mrob 6mo ago
How can consciousness be possible without internal state? LLM inference is equivalent to repeatedly reading a giant look-up table (a pure function mapping a list of tokens to a set of token probabilities). Is the look-up table conscious mer
218.
by mrob 6mo ago
It's plausible that LLMs experience things during training, but during inference an LLM is equivalent to a lookup table. An LLM is a pure function mapping a list of tokens to a set of token probabilities. It needs to be connected to a
219.
by mrob 6mo ago
"Parallel" evolution is just different branches of the same evolutionary tree. The most distantly related naturally evolved lifeforms are more similar to each other than an LLM is to a human. The LLM did not evolve at all.
220.
by mrob 6mo ago
It is not necessary, because the state has a legitimate right to taxation. Every non-military person in the country can be taxed down to the poverty level to pay volunteer troops. This is morally superior to enslaving people.
221.
by mrob 6mo ago
No war justifies slavery ("conscription").
222.
by mrob 6mo ago
I've seen 4K monitors in person. Disabling anti-aliasing (with full hinting enabled) on a 1080p monitor increases text sharpness to equal that of anti-aliased text on a 4K monitor. The only drawback is that the font no longer approxima
223.
by mrob 6mo ago
Less evil than military slavery.
224.
by mrob 6mo ago
Any country that contains millionaires while using military slaves ("conscripts") is evil. If there is clear existential risk then the state should implement wealth taxes to pay volunteer troops instead of enslaving people. And if
225.
by mrob 6mo ago
1080p is plenty for text-based work if you're not using Chinese or Japanese. It looks as sharp as 4K when you disable text anti-aliasing.
226.
by mrob 6mo ago
There's little need for multiple monitors if you can switch virtual desktops very easily and quickly. The best method I've found is using a switcher control in the corner of the screen that can be operated by the mouse wheel. The
227.
by mrob 6mo ago
Where can I find the official list of which acts are part of the constitution? And what additional obstacles exist to changing those acts beyond the obstacles to changing non-constitutional acts of parliament? In common usage, a constitutio
228.
by mrob 6mo ago
Technically correct only if you accept "vague set of traditions" as a valid definition for "constitution". This both contradicts common usage and enables tyranny, so I recommend rejecting it.
229.
by mrob 6mo ago
It's only a spike if it comes down. Every RAM chip is a lottery ticket with a plausible chance of giving one lucky winner fabulous prizes like absolute dictatorship of the entire world and physical immortality. What else are the billio
230.
by mrob 6mo ago
The growing prevalence of so-called "supply-chain attacks" (a bad name because it implies a commercial relationship that doesn't usually exist) shows that "common sense antivirus" isn't working so well even amo
231.
by mrob 6mo ago
Because whoever wins the AI race (assuming they don't overshoot and trigger the hard takeoff scenario) becomes a living god. Everybody else becomes their slave, to be killed or exploited as they please. It's a risky gamble, but in
232.
by mrob 6mo ago
Unlike the tree, nobody can take your idea away from you. You retain possession of your idea even if somebody copies it. It sounds insane to me to think you should get permanent control over other people's communication just because yo
233.
by mrob 6mo ago
I don't think it's necessary for video RAM to be separate from code RAM. The BBC Micro game "Revs" runs code from the video RAM and sets the palette to make it look like blue sky. https://en.wikipedia.org&#x2F
234.
by mrob 6mo ago
Christopher Strachey wrote a version of draughts/checkers for the Manchester Mark 1 that was fully functional in 1952. This is IMO the first video game. Earlier candidates use single-purpose display hardware, which disqualifies them fr
235.
by mrob 6mo ago
Consumer choice only works when there's a free market. Computer systems are encumbered by copyright and patent monopolies, so there's no free market. I can't buy a third-party Macbook. Because these monopolies are granted by
236.
by mrob 7mo ago
In this context, "general purpose" means "Turing complete" in the informal sense of handwaving away the requirement for infinite storage space.
237.
by mrob 7mo ago
The Z3 was only general purpose by accident, and this was only discovered in 1997 (published 1998). [0] It's only of theoretical interest because the technique required is too inefficient for real-world applications. ENIAC is notable b
238.
by mrob 7mo ago
>It starts by calling all people who listen to anything other than classical music “illiterate”! It does not. The only reference to literacy is the following: "The use of the word “song” for instrumental music — that is, music that
239.
by mrob 7mo ago
Crowd-sourced metrics at: https://dr.loudness-war.info/ 2026 releases have varied dynamic range but the majority is still low. Loudness war mastering sounds better on phone speakers and in cars. Even though streaming servic
240.
by mrob 7mo ago
I haven't listened to radio for over a decade, but back when I did I listened to BBC Radio 3, where the DJ played classical. "DJ" does not necessarily mean somebody beatmixing dance music in a club. Spotify's "AI DJ

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