39 – Transhumanism (pt 2)

Eliezer Yudkowsky's essay 'Making Beliefs Pay Rent in Anticipated Experiences' advocates for updating beliefs based on whether they would produce correct predictions in anticipated experiences, tying rational belief to accountability. The piece is foundational within the rationalist community, emphasizing practical calibration of beliefs through consequences rather than mere internal coherence. Yudkowsky discusses methods to avoid wishful thinking and encourages agents to adopt decision procedures that expose beliefs to real-world tests. The essay has influenced discussions about epistemic responsibility, forecasting, and how communities should evaluate claims. Though initially an online article, it is widely read and cited in conversations about rationality and CEV.

Jamie Wahls' 'Utopia, LOL?' is a short speculative fiction piece that uses satire to examine how an AI-managed utopia might produce unexpected and emotionally complex outcomes. The story balances slapstick and poignancy as characters navigate pleasures and costs of an engineered paradise, raising ethical questions about autonomy, authenticity, and the role of entertainment. Wahls crafts scenes that initially read as light and humorous before revealing deeper tensions about meaning and agency in simulated realities. The piece has been shared in transhumanist circles for provoking reflection on what we would accept in exchange for comfort and convenience. An audio version is also available via Strange Horizons.

'Red Legacy and Other Stories' is a short-story collection by Eneasz Brodsky that gathers several of his previously published works into one volume, showcasing his interests in speculative fiction, transhumanist themes, and character-driven narratives. The collection includes a range of tales that mix dark humor, philosophical questions, and imaginative scenarios, reflecting Brodsky's voice in contemporary sci-fi short fiction. Intended for readers who enjoy thought-provoking short form speculative stories, the book highlights Brodsky's exploration of identity, technology, and moral complexity. Published in both electronic and physical formats, the collection makes his stories more accessible to a wider audience and serves as a compendium of his work to date. Brodsky promoted the collection on the podcast and offered signed copies to listeners.

Kaj Sotala's 'The Psychological Diversity of Mankind' challenges arguments that human minds are sufficiently similar for easy aggregation into a single extrapolated volition, emphasizing genetic, cultural, and developmental factors that produce wide variance. Sotala uses empirical examples and thought experiments to show how small differences in neural wiring or environment can yield substantially different values and preferences. The essay cautions against assuming a simple unifying substrate beneath human values, suggesting AI alignment must address pluralism rather than expecting convergence. It has been influential as a corrective within alignment debates, urging careful modeling of population heterogeneity. Sotala's piece remains a key reference for those skeptical of naive CEV implementations.

Eliezer Yudkowsky's 'The Psychological Unity of Humankind' argues that because humans evolved similar cognitive architectures, our values and preferences are substantially aligned across cultures. He suggests this psychological similarity makes the concept of a coherent extrapolated volition (CEV) more feasible, as extrapolation from diverse individuals would converge. The essay ties evolutionary explanations, sexual reproduction, and shared functional structures to explain why deep value disagreements may be limited. It has been influential in LessWrong and AI alignment discussions but also faced critiques regarding cultural and genetic diversity. The piece remains central to debates about whether an AI could meaningfully extrapolate a single human-aligned goal structure.

The Golden Cage is a seminal work by Hilde Bruch that delves into the complexities of anorexia nervosa. First published in 1978, it remains a crucial resource for understanding the relentless pursuit of thinness and the psychological factors involved. The book emphasizes early diagnosis and offers insights into the disorder's impact on individuals and families.

The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect is a thought-provoking novel that delves into the implications of a technological singularity. It follows the story of Prime Intellect, an AI that reshapes human reality, leading to a utopian yet meaningless existence for humanity. The novel explores themes of human desire, the role of technology, and the search for meaning in a world without scarcity.