/sociology/

social AI
AI products so far primarily involve a single human interacting with an AI. But historically, the biggest tech opportunities tend to involve facilitating interactions between multiple people. Hence why email became the killer app of computers, social media... posted 3w ago with 2 replies received technology sociology

social AI received

I can imagine vast immersive game worlds spun up on demand by generative techniques, but how social is that going to be? There's a dystopian version of the generative media world where everyone just gets heavenbanned into a personal slop-Matrix. I also hav... 7d ago received

I can imagine vast i received

On the Erosion of Society, Erroneous Optimism, & what should replace it
By now, all can smell the new feeling in the air. Whether it be 53 BC Rome, 1787 France, or 1850s America, this pungent sensation is something all have felt prior to years of great change & strife. We may discuss the recent feuds in California, the instabi... posted 3w ago with 10 replies received politics history sociology palladium

On the Erosion of So received

My understanding is that the biggest cities have always been fertility-negative on average for as long as we've had cities. But you are right that the most civilized types of men are the result of city-related selection. So what's going on? Would first of ... 7d ago received

My understanding is received

Roland-Garros and aristocratic institutions
I watched the French Open men's final on Sunday. The combatants were Jannik Sinner, a 23 year old German-blooded Italian, and Carlos Alcaraz, a 22 year old Spanish Moor. Great match, but I miss the elegance and athletic beauty of Federer. As a man of tenni... (www.ultimatetennisstatistics.com) posted 3w ago with 1 reply received sociology eugenics fieldreports health

Roland-Garros and ar received

Good post but I'm gonna disagree with the framing. tbh the hyperspecialized "start training for a sport while you're still in the womb and make it the sole focus of your life" stuff never seemed aristocratic to me. I understand the aristocratic focus on sp... 3w ago received

Good post but I'm go received

Supercoordination: A Specific Strategy
How do we get there from here? How might we grow pockets of supercoordination even as AI rapidly becomes more capable and the people behind it consolidate their power, proactively countering this precise type of threat?... posted 5mo ago with 7 replies received sociology coordination

Supercoordination: A received

Sure, I wanted to continue the discussion in >>2513 which this thread was branched from. The message was something along the lines of 'this thread is too long or your account is too new, post elsewhere first'. 4w ago received

Sure, I wanted to co received

Democracy in America or Modernity in Democracy?
From a twitter post today by Tanner Greer (https://x.com/Scholars_Stage/status/1928597464006738035?t=Cper8b-TzL9_zK8Ggzw-zA&s=19) :... (x.com) posted 1mo ago with 3 replies received politics history sociology

Democracy in America received

The elimination of the upper class as a self-conscious, self-contained entity is definitely part of it, both in Europe and in certain parts of America. You did have the transition from an aristocracy based on the ownership of productive land towards a more... 4w ago received

The elimination of t received

America isn't going to become Brazil. It already is Brazil.
According to the 2020 census, the United States was 57.8% non-Hispanic white.... posted 2mo ago with 3 replies received politics sociology eugenics

America isn't going received

I wrote quite a lengthy reply and then accidentally deleted it. FML. I'm not rewriting that at 5 am.... 2mo ago received

I wrote quite a leng received

Sub 1.6 TFR = 50% less people in 3 generations. What now?
Marko’s thread I linked put the fertility rate problem into a very clear perspective. If society doesn’t course correct, there won’t be that many people in the future. South Korea will be around 4% of its current population within 3 generations.... (x.com) posted 3mo ago with 8 replies received sociology eugenics palladium

Sub 1.6 TFR = 50% le received

I suppose the crux here is not the cause or even what action must be taken, but the likelihood of real change.... 2mo ago received

I suppose the crux h received

What if the extended human phenotype is natural and convergent?
Samo Burja's thesis is that civilization is part of the "extended human phenotype", as dam building is in the beaver's phenotype, and older than we think. In this model, properly savage hunter-gatherers are either more associated with nearby civilization t... posted 3mo ago with 9 replies received accelerationism sociology eugenics intelligence

What if the extended received

This conversation reminds me of an article (author I can't recall) defining four alien intelligences:... 3mo ago received

This conversation re received

Just how alien would the space-octopus be?
It's hard to say what a true alien species would be like. But octopi are pretty alien, and we know a bit about them. One of you doubted that a space-octopus from alpha centauri would be much like us. So here is a xenohumanist thought experiment: SETI has i... posted 3mo ago with 5 replies received accelerationism philosophy sociology intelligence

Just how alien would received

intelligent super-ants make a good thought experiment. Let's add the standard set of capabilities: language, learned culture, tool use, fire, reflection, etc. Note these are just capabilities, not values or arbitrary architectural narrowings, but they are ... 3mo ago received

intelligent super-an received

Not Superintelligence; Supercoordination
Everyone seems to be trying to arms race their way to superintelligence these days. I have a different idea: supercoordination.... posted 5mo ago with 34 replies received rationality sociology intelligence coordination

Not Superintelligenc received

Memory is requisite to supercoordination, no doubt. Tho my gut is that the key to the first visceral supercoordination system will be synthesis over that memory.... 4mo ago received

Memory is requisite received

internet supplants america
Modern Americans have outgrown our republic.... posted 5mo ago with 6 replies received politics technology sociology sovereignty

internet supplants a received

Ah sorry, I meant a migration **from the physical to the digital world.... 4mo ago received

Ah sorry, I meant a received

Ideology is more fundamental than *just* post-hoc rationalization
Mosca argued that every ruling class justifies itself with a political formula : an ideological narrative that legitimizes power. Raw force alone is unsustainable; a widely accepted narrative makes dominance appear natural. Internally, shared ideology unif... posted 5mo ago with 10 replies received politics ideology accelerationism sociology

Ideology is more fun received

I think even acts of intuitive human intelligence are often difficult to explain to other people; perhaps the metaphor of Cassandra is a good reminder how genius is often recognized far too late:... 4mo ago received

I think even acts of received

Is independent thinking still possible in an environment where escaping social media ecochamber is nearly impossible?
Is it possible to be an independent thinker in general?... posted 6mo ago with 6 replies received ideology rationality sociology news

Is independent think received

Independence is tough as always. The time before social media, many too didn't have independent thinking, just there wasn't a platform to make it evident.... 6mo ago received

Independence is toug received

rationalists vs. libertarians
rats more elite but libertarians more vigorous (www.anarchonomicon.com) posted 9mo ago with 1 reply received rationality sociology fieldreports

rationalists vs. lib received

The vibecamp description is depressing. I havent been but my experience with cringe rationalists very much vibes with it.... 9mo ago received

The vibecamp descrip received

Road trip week 5, 6: The wedding, public land, overpopulation, underpopulation, unsociety.
The road trip at the end of week 5 took us across the bay to celebrate the wedding of an old friend and teacher. I didn't know what to expect, but it was delightfully well done. Congratulations to the couple.... posted 12mo ago with 1 reply received politics sociology fieldreports

Road trip week 5, 6: received

Nevada is the open road radicalized and extended into a whole state. This actually makes it quite pleasant. Almost everything is public land, and underpopulated enough that you can do whatever you want. You can just drive off into the bush and camp, and ev... 12mo ago received

Nevada is the open r received

The internet social apocalypse and its solutions
folks over on twitter are complaining that all the twisty little passages full of unique social subcultures have been dissolved into a single global free market of slop. Elon giveth, and Elon taketh away. It seemed like an interesting topic so let's have a... posted 13mo ago with 9 replies received politics sociology

The internet social received

Instead of being nostalgic, it occurred to me that I might give an example of a platform that has survived the social apocalypse...... 13mo ago received

Instead of being nos received

Mapping the critical cohorts of the US
America relies on the competency of just a few cohorts of people and the health of the institutions that they occupy throughout their careers to function. I think it's a short list but I'd be curious to hear input on what I have so far:... posted 1y ago with 57 replies received sociology coordination palladium

Mapping the critical received

The algorithm giveth, the algorithm taketh away. Occasionally, it may make mistakes, but more importantly we all may make mistakes in what we like and dislike. Attention is a political resource that we must fight to allocate properly. Please form your opin... 1y ago received

The algorithm giveth received

Are aesthetics really primary when seeking converts?
A common theme I see in some circles online is that many political opinions and other social convictions are downstream of aesthetics. This leads to a sort of propagandizing via art and literature, appeals to physical beauty, etc.... posted 1y ago with 15 replies received politics sociology

Are aesthetics reall received

That is to say, if everyone who can be good is attempting to be good, then we need no other plans. If God is real then He will guide us; if not, then our efforts are already in vain. 1y ago received

That is to say, if e received

Twitter Hobo's proposal for a new American nomadism
https://twitter.com/shagbark_hick/status/1774939620943294603 posted 1y ago with 22 replies received sociology fieldreports health

Twitter Hobo's propo received

Papen and Hindenburg facilitated the rise of national socialism due to tactical moves in 1933; it did not come from them or their faction. 1y ago received

Papen and Hindenburg received

Who is Portugal For? (and what's the point of democracy anymore?)
https://www.palladiummag.com/2024/02/23/who-is-portugal-for/ posted 1y ago with 12 replies received politics ideology sociology

Who is Portugal For? received

Indeed. The difference between what seems possible according to the world of ideas and what actually is possible is potentially large and always the essence of the game. This is why I'm not sure we can put too much stock in the "it can't reference or be mi... 1y ago received

Indeed. The differen received