“Most Muggles lived in a world defined by the limits of what you could do with cars and telephones. Even though Muggle physics explicitly permitted possibilities like molecular nanotechnology or the Penrose process for extracting energy from black holes, most people filed that away in the same section of their brain that stored fairy tales and history books, well away from their personal realities: Long ago and far away, ever so long ago.” PeopleWorldWellsLongBookRealityEnergyProcessBlackBrainCarPossibilityLimitsPhysicsHolesTalesDefinedFairyFairy TaleFar AwayLong AgoSectionsTelephonesBlack HoleHistory BooksNanotechnologyMuggles Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“If you've been cryocrastinating, putting off signing up for cryonics "until later", don't think that you've "gotten away with it so far". Many worlds, remember? There are branched versions of you that are dying of cancer, and not signed up for cryonics, and it's too late for them to get life insurance.” IfsThinkingWorldRememberDyingLateCancerVersionsToo LateSigningSigning Up Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“Physiologically adult humans are not meant to spend an additional 10 years in a school system; their brains map that onto "I have been assigned low tribal status". And so, of course, they plot rebellion - accuse the existing tribal overlords of corruption plot, perhaps to split off their own little tribe in the savanna, not realizing that this is impossible in the Modern World.” WorldYearsHumansLittlesHas BeensSchoolCoursesRealizingBrainImpossibleModernLowsAdultsCorruptionPlotMapsRebellionSplitsTribesModern WorldSchool SystemSavanna Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“If you want to maximize your expected utility, you try to save the world and the future of intergalactic civilization instead of donating your money to the society for curing rare diseases and cute puppies.” IfsWorldWantTryingCivilizationDiseaseExpectedCuteUtilityPuppySave The WorldCute PuppyRare Diseases Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“There is no justice in the laws of nature, no term for fairness in the equations of motion. The Universe is neither evil, nor good, it simply does not care. The stars don't care, or the Sun, or the sky. But they don't have to! WE care! There IS light in the world, and it is US!” WorldDoeLightCareLawUniverseEvilStarsTermJusticeSunSkyDon't CareFairnessRationalityEquationsLaws Of Nature Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“What people really believe doesn't feel like a BELIEF, it feels like the way the world IS.” PeopleWorldWayFeelsBelieveBelief Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“Existential depression has always annoyed me; it is one of the world's most pointless forms of suffering.” WorldFormSufferingExistentialPointlessAnnoyed Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation.” WorldUglyPhrasesDominationWorld Domination Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“- With respect, Professor McGonagall, I'm not quite sure you understand what I'm trying to do here. - With respect, Mr. Potter, I'm quite sure I don't. Unless - this is a guess, mind - you're trying to take over the world? - No! I mean yes - well, NO! - I think i should perhaps be alarmed that you have trouble answering the question.” ThinkingWorldShouldTryingMindWellsMeanTroubleProfessorsPottersMcgonagallProfessor Mcgonagall Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“Moore's Law of Mad Science: Every eighteen months, the minimum IQ necessary to destroy the world drops by one point.” WorldLawScienceProgressMonthsMadIntellectDestroyingMinimumDroppingProgressionEighteenFunny ScienceMad ScientistMoore's Law Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
“Singularitarians are the munchkins of the real world. We just ignore all the usual dungeons and head straight for the cycle of infinite wish spells.” WorldRealWishInfiniteCyclesSpellsReal WorldUsualDungeons Author:Eliezer Yudkowsky
