Chuck has all the answers but he won't tell us Re: Money, happiness, and the halting problem Re: I can finallyanswerone point-blank

[Brian Atkins]

Chuck Murcko wrote:
> 
> Mmmm. Riddle me this:
> 
> What drug cocktail should I try to get the experience I had when I was
> 17, crewing on a 22' sailboat in open ocean during a North Atlantic gale?
> 
> What drug cocktail should I try to get the experience I had when I was
> 27, buddy breathing my (badly panicking) heavy rescue training partner
> out of a smoke-filled tunnel because his Scott Pack failed?
> 
> What drug cocktail should I try to get the experience I had when I was
> 37 and I watched my son born?
> 
> You *don't* get it so completely you flubbed the subject.

Actually, you don't seem to be getting it. Your words do not seem to be
in any way related to what I originally said regarding happiness being
nearly equivalent to the meaningless state of getting high. I was not
attempting to say that in a literal way (taking certain drug = exact
feeling of happiness); rather it was a comparison meant to show the
transient unimportance of all of our experiences UNLESS we find some
way to continue living. The whole point being that if you kick the bucket
then so do your hard won and cherished experiences, thereby making it
all pointless. Lasting achievement must stay tied to the physical world.

> 
> You would have shown a whiff of a hint of a clue if you had tried "Chuck
> has a whiff of a hint of one clue, but I don't even get that".
> 
> As before, best of luck. You'll need it.

You keep saying that, but I'm the one trying to do something to keep
us all alive. If you ride my coattails, consider yourself to be the
lucky one.

> 
> Chuck
> 
> On Thursday, July 26, 2001, at 02:01 PM, Brian Atkins wrote:
> 
> > Chuck Murcko wrote:
> >>
> >> What you really need most desperately is a clue, IMHO as always.
> >
> > Thank you sir may I have another?
> >
> >>
> >> Those "meaningless emotional state" concepts. Look at them a bit more
> >> closely, perhaps in several more years.
> >
> > Oh, this is one of those "maturity" deals. Will you actually discuss it
> > with me when I get to be 49 years old?
> >
> >>
> >> In the immortal words of Wolfgang Pauli:
> >>
> >> "This is not right. This is not even wrong."
> >>
> >> or, quoth Foghorn Leghorn:
> >>
> >> "I say-I say, son, you're barkin' up the wrong tree."
> >
> > If you really want to discuss this subject feel free. We'd all love to
> > hear your views.
> >
> >>
> >> Best of Luck,
> >> Chuck
> >>
> >> On Wednesday, July 25, 2001, at 02:14 PM, Brian Atkins wrote:
> >>
> >>> I also (as one who has access to a little "jack") will go in agreement
> >>> with
> >>> both of you- more money does increase happiness, at least temporarily,
> >>> but
> >>> past a certain point it really doesn't add much, and no matter how
> >>> much
> >>> you
> >>> have it doesn't really get you to being completely satisfied/happy.
> >>>
> >>> I think though that looking at it in terms of happiness is the wrong
> >>> way.
> >>> For starters you can be happy all you want (even if you're poor you
> >>> can
> >>> pump your brain full of drugs) and it is all for nought when you're
> >>> dead.
> >>> Those experiences are just temporary IMO. Happy is a meaningless
> >>> emotional
> >>> state equivalent in many ways I would argue to getting high. If your
> >>> brain
> >>> was wired differently you might instead be discussing achieving what
> >>> we
> >>> right now would describe as "achieving sadness".
> >>>
> >>> What I really want is more time, more intelligence, and more control
> >>> over
> >>> my environment. Money can buy me a little bit when it comes to
> >>> environment
> >>> but really not very much using today's technology. Ditto for number 1
> >>> and
> >>> 2. If I really want to maximize all three I have to use my money and
> >>> mind
> >>> to invest in creating a much higher level of technology. The
> >>> advantages
> >>> of
> >>> having maximized those three things should be self-evident, but for
> >>> starters
> >>> it at least should a) let me understand better what really is
> >>> important
> >>> (or what makes me happy in Jeff's case :-) b) give me as much time
> >>> as I
> >>> need to accompish that.
> >>
> Chuck Murcko
> Topsail Group
> http://www.topsail.org/
> >>
> >> http://xent.com/mailman/listinfo/fork
> >
> 
> http://xent.com/mailman/listinfo/fork

-- 
Brian Atkins
Director, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
http://www.singinst.org/