On the Bullshit of Internet Machiavellians:
Lots of people on social media like to talk a big game about Machiavellianism, manipulation, power games, and the like. They do it to feel important.
How many actually are basing their analyses on real world situations? How many are larping?
One of my best friends is an orthopedic surgeon, my age (mid 30s), ambitious, and learning how to play the game. He's not giddy about it, he's kind of sad because he wishes it was all about the medicine.
But alas it's not. And he got into this career partly for the money.
A given spine surgery procedure may get billed at $120,000. Medicare may pay the surgeon $2,000 for it, and private insurance like Blue Cross may pay $6,000 for it. But if the claim comes through Workman's Compensation Insurance (getting injured on the job), it may get paid at $20,000. If it goes through a car insurance company and the victim has a high PIP, it may get billed at $80,000.
So the low end surgeons, who have no relationship with the workers comp companies (experienced surgeons will say no to more surgeries, but get more deal flow funneled to them at higher rates) may personally get $300,000 per year in salary. The surgeons who are experienced partners in their early 40s may pull $2,000,000 per year by being buddies with insurance companies. Academics who do complex surgeries but refuse to play the game may make a stable $800,000/year. Those with special relationships with "out of network" patients (where wealthy patients pay out of pocket like 50% of $120,000-$500,000 surgeries) can pull $5,000,000 per year in their mid 40s.
It's sad because it's not about medicine - the care is often the same for the patient and the doctors are often equally skilled. But the wealthier doctors learned to game the system better by intelligently choosing which patients to see.
Now to bring it back home, I have a real disdain for the autistic sounding self-proclaimed Machiavellians who think they got the world figured out but don't actually know the nuts and bolts of what happens in real life.
My actual friends are legit ambitious and learning the games to be played. They're not self employed; they're trying to play the system. And good for them.
Don't make broad pronouncements without real world experience, and actually put numbers to what you talk about!
Until next time, later.
Lots of people on social media like to talk a big game about Machiavellianism, manipulation, power games, and the like. They do it to feel important.
How many actually are basing their analyses on real world situations? How many are larping?
One of my best friends is an orthopedic surgeon, my age (mid 30s), ambitious, and learning how to play the game. He's not giddy about it, he's kind of sad because he wishes it was all about the medicine.
But alas it's not. And he got into this career partly for the money.
A given spine surgery procedure may get billed at $120,000. Medicare may pay the surgeon $2,000 for it, and private insurance like Blue Cross may pay $6,000 for it. But if the claim comes through Workman's Compensation Insurance (getting injured on the job), it may get paid at $20,000. If it goes through a car insurance company and the victim has a high PIP, it may get billed at $80,000.
So the low end surgeons, who have no relationship with the workers comp companies (experienced surgeons will say no to more surgeries, but get more deal flow funneled to them at higher rates) may personally get $300,000 per year in salary. The surgeons who are experienced partners in their early 40s may pull $2,000,000 per year by being buddies with insurance companies. Academics who do complex surgeries but refuse to play the game may make a stable $800,000/year. Those with special relationships with "out of network" patients (where wealthy patients pay out of pocket like 50% of $120,000-$500,000 surgeries) can pull $5,000,000 per year in their mid 40s.
It's sad because it's not about medicine - the care is often the same for the patient and the doctors are often equally skilled. But the wealthier doctors learned to game the system better by intelligently choosing which patients to see.
Now to bring it back home, I have a real disdain for the autistic sounding self-proclaimed Machiavellians who think they got the world figured out but don't actually know the nuts and bolts of what happens in real life.
My actual friends are legit ambitious and learning the games to be played. They're not self employed; they're trying to play the system. And good for them.
Don't make broad pronouncements without real world experience, and actually put numbers to what you talk about!
Until next time, later.
Forwarded from 🌞 Sol Brah ⚡️
LIVING TRUTHFULLY
just be who you are - any act or facade eventually gets found out - and you will suffer mental dissonance in the meantime
What are those things that constantly come to mind but you are too scared to express? They must eventually be uttered into the world, lest they fester in the halls of your mind and become toxic.
honestly expressing your thoughts leads to more magic in every situation - even if it is tough to say. ESPECIALLY when its tough to say.
A Fun experiment: for one whole week - if it’s in your head, it has to come out your mouth
You will be shocked at how much you’ve made a habit of suppressing what you actually think
Two people can interact, both putting up a facade that they believe the other person will like more.
It’s a fake performance because neither are secure in just being themselves.
Rather than letting go of the idea of who they think they should be, they cling to an idea of what they think is cool or acceptable.
The result is that neither person interacts with their true selves, and misses out on true connection
It is HARDER to put on the act, to carefully measure your words than it is to speak from the heart.
Literally it requires more energy to constantly monitor what you are saying, worrying about ramifications or social standing if you say this instead of that and so forth.
Some people will reject this and say “ahhh I can’t say what I want because XYZ”
Then maybe you should look at the circumstances of your life that are ‘forcing’ this.
Over time, constantly living life limited in this way has negative ramifications for the soul.
There of course is a level of social decorum that we must exhibit in our community - being honest does not mean talking shit about people. If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, don’t say it. But withholding your truth, your passions and your interests or your personality because of any reason ends up decaying our spiritual selves inside, and is unsustainable long term.
Perfect health is impossible unless your actions are aligned with your thoughts
The honest man eating dog food is healthier than the liar having wheatgrass shots.
just be who you are - any act or facade eventually gets found out - and you will suffer mental dissonance in the meantime
What are those things that constantly come to mind but you are too scared to express? They must eventually be uttered into the world, lest they fester in the halls of your mind and become toxic.
honestly expressing your thoughts leads to more magic in every situation - even if it is tough to say. ESPECIALLY when its tough to say.
A Fun experiment: for one whole week - if it’s in your head, it has to come out your mouth
You will be shocked at how much you’ve made a habit of suppressing what you actually think
Two people can interact, both putting up a facade that they believe the other person will like more.
It’s a fake performance because neither are secure in just being themselves.
Rather than letting go of the idea of who they think they should be, they cling to an idea of what they think is cool or acceptable.
The result is that neither person interacts with their true selves, and misses out on true connection
It is HARDER to put on the act, to carefully measure your words than it is to speak from the heart.
Literally it requires more energy to constantly monitor what you are saying, worrying about ramifications or social standing if you say this instead of that and so forth.
Some people will reject this and say “ahhh I can’t say what I want because XYZ”
Then maybe you should look at the circumstances of your life that are ‘forcing’ this.
Over time, constantly living life limited in this way has negative ramifications for the soul.
There of course is a level of social decorum that we must exhibit in our community - being honest does not mean talking shit about people. If you don’t have something nice to say about someone, don’t say it. But withholding your truth, your passions and your interests or your personality because of any reason ends up decaying our spiritual selves inside, and is unsustainable long term.
Perfect health is impossible unless your actions are aligned with your thoughts
The honest man eating dog food is healthier than the liar having wheatgrass shots.
Sometimes I purposefully wait to see how much pressure the clients put on me for results, in order to gather information about the relative power dynamics.
Not exactly the most ethical approach, since I ideally should just plow ahead for them. I should just build great things for them as fast as I can do we all win. That's the kumbaya we're in this together approach.
But I'm thinking long term strategy here. I need to know how much leverage I have over them, and how much leverage they have over me in terms of my business's cashflow.
They can pull the plug at any moment and fuck me over. I need to know which clients are closest to doing that.
I want to know where their breaking point is. I want to know when they'll turn into the frantic urgent professional who starts trying to pressure me.
You know the type. Always rushed, always panicked, never seem to get ahead, but always seem to be successful.
Those people are not powerful.
Because once I pull back yet still charge them, then I'll know how much pressure they have on them from their overlords for results.
It's, in a way, milking the client. I understand the ethical issues with me being a slimey git and trying to play little games. I don't want to lose integrity and be a nasty snake. That's why every week, I always show some significant progress with the medical AI results for them.
And maybe my language is not the kindest, but honestly I need to know where the pressure points are in my business. This is crucial for me to know who's gonna be a frantic pain in the ass. They play games with me, albeit subconsciously - I'm just better at playing the games intentionally.
Not exactly the most ethical approach, since I ideally should just plow ahead for them. I should just build great things for them as fast as I can do we all win. That's the kumbaya we're in this together approach.
But I'm thinking long term strategy here. I need to know how much leverage I have over them, and how much leverage they have over me in terms of my business's cashflow.
They can pull the plug at any moment and fuck me over. I need to know which clients are closest to doing that.
I want to know where their breaking point is. I want to know when they'll turn into the frantic urgent professional who starts trying to pressure me.
You know the type. Always rushed, always panicked, never seem to get ahead, but always seem to be successful.
Those people are not powerful.
Because once I pull back yet still charge them, then I'll know how much pressure they have on them from their overlords for results.
It's, in a way, milking the client. I understand the ethical issues with me being a slimey git and trying to play little games. I don't want to lose integrity and be a nasty snake. That's why every week, I always show some significant progress with the medical AI results for them.
And maybe my language is not the kindest, but honestly I need to know where the pressure points are in my business. This is crucial for me to know who's gonna be a frantic pain in the ass. They play games with me, albeit subconsciously - I'm just better at playing the games intentionally.
I'm starting to care less and less about what's happening in society.
I made my choice, I've stated my views,
Now I build.
I made my choice, I've stated my views,
Now I build.
One of the biggest weapon the mainstream news (not the extremist stations like MSNBC or Fox, but the middle of the road stations) has is their tone.
It's very matter-of-fact.
It sounds very professional.
It's often smug.
It's calmly stated as if it's the only way to think.
It's just shy of condescending.
It's manipulative.
Example:
"What will the effect of private businesses fighting the vaccine mandates have on turning the tide on fighting COVID?"
Lotsa assumptions built in there, and the tone it's stated with is like, "hmm, what do we do to address this low-brow issue blocking our group fight?"
"What will the world look like if there are some who get vaccinated and some who refuse? Those of us who get vaccinated and get our boosters, will we be able to work and play like we used to?"
The sad little boy wondering why the big bad "hesitants" won't let him to out to play.
"But not everyone agrees - the WHO believes the rest of the world should get their first vax shots before the US gets their boosters."
Already assuming boosters are needed, it's just when.
A 10-sec clip of a single protestor holding a sign "End the Tyranny!" but no commentary.
It's very matter-of-fact.
It sounds very professional.
It's often smug.
It's calmly stated as if it's the only way to think.
It's just shy of condescending.
It's manipulative.
Example:
"What will the effect of private businesses fighting the vaccine mandates have on turning the tide on fighting COVID?"
Lotsa assumptions built in there, and the tone it's stated with is like, "hmm, what do we do to address this low-brow issue blocking our group fight?"
"What will the world look like if there are some who get vaccinated and some who refuse? Those of us who get vaccinated and get our boosters, will we be able to work and play like we used to?"
The sad little boy wondering why the big bad "hesitants" won't let him to out to play.
"But not everyone agrees - the WHO believes the rest of the world should get their first vax shots before the US gets their boosters."
Already assuming boosters are needed, it's just when.
A 10-sec clip of a single protestor holding a sign "End the Tyranny!" but no commentary.
Learn how to be a shining light to the world by just walking your own path.
Society will beckon with its luxuries.
Even living a life in nature may not be your path - don't swing the pendulum the other way if that's not your path
It's a narrow road, but the only one worth it.
Society will beckon with its luxuries.
Even living a life in nature may not be your path - don't swing the pendulum the other way if that's not your path
It's a narrow road, but the only one worth it.
Don't be someone who discusses society all day.
Have your own things going on.
It's okay if you forget to check in with the world for a week - despite what you hear on Twitter, it's not all collapsing.
We're in the midst of a great change as minds connect. And change is scary.
I know I know, all your favorite accounts are discussing food shortages (same song and dance since March 2020), inflation (it's coming soon! I swear!), civil war (blood is nigh!), and a thousand other things.
Maybe those things will happen. But YOU will adapt and be fine. Chill
I'm not denying this stuff may be on the horizon.
The signs are there and smart people are predicting them.
But it's always right around the corner, and it's not helping you to be an obsessed prepper.
How many people are boosting their ego, sounding important sharing warnings?
Is this what's going to get you in the best mental state to handle reality? Forget what's on the internet - is this what your actual eyes and ears are saying?
Again, I'm not against being prepared. But how many people are making this their identity? They want this to happen now.
War is coming.
This may be true.
I'm no denier.
But come on, be more than one dimensional.
Getting sucked into an amygdala based response is not making you your best self. And isn't that what this change is all about? Finding your peak?
Rise and be untouched by circumstance.
Have your own things going on.
It's okay if you forget to check in with the world for a week - despite what you hear on Twitter, it's not all collapsing.
We're in the midst of a great change as minds connect. And change is scary.
I know I know, all your favorite accounts are discussing food shortages (same song and dance since March 2020), inflation (it's coming soon! I swear!), civil war (blood is nigh!), and a thousand other things.
Maybe those things will happen. But YOU will adapt and be fine. Chill
I'm not denying this stuff may be on the horizon.
The signs are there and smart people are predicting them.
But it's always right around the corner, and it's not helping you to be an obsessed prepper.
How many people are boosting their ego, sounding important sharing warnings?
Is this what's going to get you in the best mental state to handle reality? Forget what's on the internet - is this what your actual eyes and ears are saying?
Again, I'm not against being prepared. But how many people are making this their identity? They want this to happen now.
War is coming.
This may be true.
I'm no denier.
But come on, be more than one dimensional.
Getting sucked into an amygdala based response is not making you your best self. And isn't that what this change is all about? Finding your peak?
Rise and be untouched by circumstance.
Practicing Presence:
I lie in bed ready to fall asleep. The dim hum of the air conditioner vibrates my eardrums. The light glow from the kitchen ignites my rods and cones in my eye. I feel the soft bedsheets beneath me. Thoughts from the day race through my mind.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I notice a small tightness in my lower back, and close my eyes. The air conditioner still hums, the thoughts change to thinking about tomorrow, the sheets become ignored by my touch senses.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
The tension dissolves and I feel my heartbeat. The air conditioner is background noise and I start paying attention to other sensations within my body. My thoughts start flowing, and questions pop into my mind wondering if this is what the Buddhists call bodyscan meditation.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I notice my breathing, and bright visions of a sunny day enter my mind. I hear the sound of crickets outside vibrating my eardrums, and my body shifts a bit, subtly changing the pressure on my legs. I feel sensations in my calves and my mouth tastes the aftereffects of the toothpaste.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I feel the pillow on my ear, and I start planning out how I will type up this very telegram post you're reading. I wonder if that'll break my presence, but realize there's always a new present moment to experience.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I feel a pain in my left temple from within, and drill down into that pain until it dissolves. I feel like a healer. My breathing slows and I hear the air conditioner click off, only leaving the slight buzzing sound from the blood flowing through my brain that you only hear when it's completely silent. My ear itches.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I try to make an unbroken, contiguous experience of nanoseconds, observing each sensation rise and fall.
This is my new Now.
I lie in bed ready to fall asleep. The dim hum of the air conditioner vibrates my eardrums. The light glow from the kitchen ignites my rods and cones in my eye. I feel the soft bedsheets beneath me. Thoughts from the day race through my mind.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I notice a small tightness in my lower back, and close my eyes. The air conditioner still hums, the thoughts change to thinking about tomorrow, the sheets become ignored by my touch senses.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
The tension dissolves and I feel my heartbeat. The air conditioner is background noise and I start paying attention to other sensations within my body. My thoughts start flowing, and questions pop into my mind wondering if this is what the Buddhists call bodyscan meditation.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I notice my breathing, and bright visions of a sunny day enter my mind. I hear the sound of crickets outside vibrating my eardrums, and my body shifts a bit, subtly changing the pressure on my legs. I feel sensations in my calves and my mouth tastes the aftereffects of the toothpaste.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I feel the pillow on my ear, and I start planning out how I will type up this very telegram post you're reading. I wonder if that'll break my presence, but realize there's always a new present moment to experience.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I feel a pain in my left temple from within, and drill down into that pain until it dissolves. I feel like a healer. My breathing slows and I hear the air conditioner click off, only leaving the slight buzzing sound from the blood flowing through my brain that you only hear when it's completely silent. My ear itches.
This is my new Now.
A nanosecond passes.
I try to make an unbroken, contiguous experience of nanoseconds, observing each sensation rise and fall.
This is my new Now.
Do you ever just marvel at it?
The fact that your words are flowing through pipes connecting the entire giant Earth.
In milliseconds connecting your ideas to people across this ginormous planet.
Enormous, fast pipes, synergizing you with people looking at a different sky...
The fact that your words are flowing through pipes connecting the entire giant Earth.
In milliseconds connecting your ideas to people across this ginormous planet.
Enormous, fast pipes, synergizing you with people looking at a different sky...
Apparently I can do live streams via telegram? Will have to try that out sometime.
And will try to post more video messages too, people seem to like those.
And will try to post more video messages too, people seem to like those.
The most important piece of not rushing is to solidify the proper neural circuits.
When you start something new, the instinct is to just get it done. Nobody likes the painful slow repetition of mistakes.
But that's how you correct your form.
Myelinate the best neural circuits.
The brain looks for efficiency - evolutionarily we're wired to conserve calories.
That's why myelination occurs: to make a sense of muscle memory or habit for repeated neural circuits firing.
So when you rush and repeat that, it tries to make your shitty process more efficient.
When you're learning a new instrument, or starting a new hobby, or learning a new skill, it's painful to actually learn the proper techniques.
It seems faster to just do what feels natural. But that's just because there are similar neural circuits already myelinated.
It's weak.
Going slowly seems difficult.
Repeating that part of the song you can't get right seems frustrating. You just want to fly through it.
Same with code or lifting or anything.
But that's how you correct which neural circuits get myelinated.
Go slowly, then you'll fly as a master!
When you start something new, the instinct is to just get it done. Nobody likes the painful slow repetition of mistakes.
But that's how you correct your form.
Myelinate the best neural circuits.
The brain looks for efficiency - evolutionarily we're wired to conserve calories.
That's why myelination occurs: to make a sense of muscle memory or habit for repeated neural circuits firing.
So when you rush and repeat that, it tries to make your shitty process more efficient.
When you're learning a new instrument, or starting a new hobby, or learning a new skill, it's painful to actually learn the proper techniques.
It seems faster to just do what feels natural. But that's just because there are similar neural circuits already myelinated.
It's weak.
Going slowly seems difficult.
Repeating that part of the song you can't get right seems frustrating. You just want to fly through it.
Same with code or lifting or anything.
But that's how you correct which neural circuits get myelinated.
Go slowly, then you'll fly as a master!
They've decided to use their fear of disease and climate change to panick and turtle into the solace of science, hoping it will save them from their own terror.
Forced to justify their weakness by controlling others, instilling their weakness into others in a sad drive for power.
Unable to understand that their lack of life meaning, their lack of divine purpose, is what drives them.
Terrified of the banality of atheism.
Desperately clawing at materialism, secretly wishing it would open up into deep meaning.
So convinced that each person is fungible, replaceable, a simple cog in a mindless collective amorphous mass.
A massive cope, hating the successful, speaking about "privilege", as if no truly great individuals exist, and any epic power or wealth gained must have been from being lucky, simply being born in the right place at the right time with the right skin color or gender or parents. They need this to be true lest they have to accept that some unique individuals are superior to them.
But society needs to give up its panicked attempt to manipulate everyone with fear, to humble and knock down the great individuals, to accept that some will rise above, not from privilege but from destiny.
Society will stall, the fork in the road will not be taken, while they double down on science and materialism. The scientific method (falsifying hypotheses, doubting any seemingly brilliant theory) will survive, but the worship of scientific "experts" will be recognized as a mere filling of a God-shaped hole in man's mind.
For a vacuum never stays empty for long.
Forced to justify their weakness by controlling others, instilling their weakness into others in a sad drive for power.
Unable to understand that their lack of life meaning, their lack of divine purpose, is what drives them.
Terrified of the banality of atheism.
Desperately clawing at materialism, secretly wishing it would open up into deep meaning.
So convinced that each person is fungible, replaceable, a simple cog in a mindless collective amorphous mass.
A massive cope, hating the successful, speaking about "privilege", as if no truly great individuals exist, and any epic power or wealth gained must have been from being lucky, simply being born in the right place at the right time with the right skin color or gender or parents. They need this to be true lest they have to accept that some unique individuals are superior to them.
But society needs to give up its panicked attempt to manipulate everyone with fear, to humble and knock down the great individuals, to accept that some will rise above, not from privilege but from destiny.
Society will stall, the fork in the road will not be taken, while they double down on science and materialism. The scientific method (falsifying hypotheses, doubting any seemingly brilliant theory) will survive, but the worship of scientific "experts" will be recognized as a mere filling of a God-shaped hole in man's mind.
For a vacuum never stays empty for long.
"Unvaccinated people filling up hospitals."
"Preventing cancer patients from getting surgery."
The scientific method would treat these as theories to be FALSIFIED. Science says actively seek data AGAINST this hypothesis.
Too bad these idiots didn't pay attention in 4th grade..
Calmly analyzing the data and wondering if ridiculous emotional claims are actually correct is how you don't get caught up in the hooplah.
Good science is assuming your statements are incorrect and seeking data which proves your statement FALSE.
Science worshippers - get this?
So when you hear claims that hospitals are overrun with unvaxxed stealing spots that cancer patients need (as if doctors should be choosing between patients - how about denying treatment to the obese?), and you believe this is "science", you're an idiot mouthpiece.
Your thinking brain, if you remember anything in elementary school about scientific method, should be dubious of this.
You should wonder how you'd measure such effects.
Actually checking the rates of cancer patients dying from missed surgeries.
Checking who is using equipment.
But even this implies that people should be denied medical treatment for personal choices.
Doctors treat the obese. They treat gang shooting members. They treat everyone. They don't deny treatment.
So if you've studied ethics, even if this were true it wouldn't matter.
People who are worshipping science these days are really just filling their "God-shaped hole" in their minds.
Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy.
Science is about doubting claims.
It's about finding why claims are WRONG, not RIGHT (that's confirmation bias).
#science
So when retards perpetuate the claims on the news that hospitals are overflowing with unvaxxed filling up all the spots, firstly who cares, doctors treat everyone. Secondly, are you actively trying to find examples of that claim being wrong? If not, you're not pro science.
The only winners here are the strategic propagandists who are becoming experts are manipulating popular opinion.
They're injecting images into people's heads of overflowing hospital.
They're triggering the amygdala's fear response.
They're the real winners here.
Strategy ftw.
"Preventing cancer patients from getting surgery."
The scientific method would treat these as theories to be FALSIFIED. Science says actively seek data AGAINST this hypothesis.
Too bad these idiots didn't pay attention in 4th grade..
Calmly analyzing the data and wondering if ridiculous emotional claims are actually correct is how you don't get caught up in the hooplah.
Good science is assuming your statements are incorrect and seeking data which proves your statement FALSE.
Science worshippers - get this?
So when you hear claims that hospitals are overrun with unvaxxed stealing spots that cancer patients need (as if doctors should be choosing between patients - how about denying treatment to the obese?), and you believe this is "science", you're an idiot mouthpiece.
Your thinking brain, if you remember anything in elementary school about scientific method, should be dubious of this.
You should wonder how you'd measure such effects.
Actually checking the rates of cancer patients dying from missed surgeries.
Checking who is using equipment.
But even this implies that people should be denied medical treatment for personal choices.
Doctors treat the obese. They treat gang shooting members. They treat everyone. They don't deny treatment.
So if you've studied ethics, even if this were true it wouldn't matter.
People who are worshipping science these days are really just filling their "God-shaped hole" in their minds.
Appeal to authority is a logical fallacy.
Science is about doubting claims.
It's about finding why claims are WRONG, not RIGHT (that's confirmation bias).
#science
So when retards perpetuate the claims on the news that hospitals are overflowing with unvaxxed filling up all the spots, firstly who cares, doctors treat everyone. Secondly, are you actively trying to find examples of that claim being wrong? If not, you're not pro science.
The only winners here are the strategic propagandists who are becoming experts are manipulating popular opinion.
They're injecting images into people's heads of overflowing hospital.
They're triggering the amygdala's fear response.
They're the real winners here.
Strategy ftw.
Most people massage the data so their results look the best (see: AI researchers, academic experts, Pfizer execs).
Real winners make the experiments and data as challenging as possible with tricky situations, looking for the worst results. All to squeeze out better algorithms.
Related to the scientific method, where you're supposed to actively try to FALSIFY hypotheses.
It's human nature to latch onto good results. Ego.
If you actually want to improve your mind and technology, give it more and more challenges.
Forces the human engineer to be better.
Every time my clients will get excited about a good result, I always push back.
I wonder how representative that is of real world AI results.
I look for edge cases or flaws in the experimental design.
You get bad results for months.
Until you don't.
The tech gets more stable.
The goal isn't to giddily show off.
The goal is to grow your own mind.
To sharpen your own skills.
Few.
Real winners make the experiments and data as challenging as possible with tricky situations, looking for the worst results. All to squeeze out better algorithms.
Related to the scientific method, where you're supposed to actively try to FALSIFY hypotheses.
It's human nature to latch onto good results. Ego.
If you actually want to improve your mind and technology, give it more and more challenges.
Forces the human engineer to be better.
Every time my clients will get excited about a good result, I always push back.
I wonder how representative that is of real world AI results.
I look for edge cases or flaws in the experimental design.
You get bad results for months.
Until you don't.
The tech gets more stable.
The goal isn't to giddily show off.
The goal is to grow your own mind.
To sharpen your own skills.
Few.
Small business idea:
Discriminate against vaxxed.
Ask for vax pass at doorway of a bar.
Giddy customers rush to you their pass.
Hostess goes "Sorry we don't serve your kind."
You'd make bank.
Every unvaxxed for miles becomes loyal customer.
News stations cover the evil bar.
Politicians scramble to spin. Heads explode with hypocrisy.
Start talking about "correct kinds of discrimination."
Media outlets talk about how this is just a political statement while real discrimination is for health.
New laws enacted so only govt can approve discrimination.
You're welcome, kings.
Discriminate against vaxxed.
Ask for vax pass at doorway of a bar.
Giddy customers rush to you their pass.
Hostess goes "Sorry we don't serve your kind."
You'd make bank.
Every unvaxxed for miles becomes loyal customer.
News stations cover the evil bar.
Politicians scramble to spin. Heads explode with hypocrisy.
Start talking about "correct kinds of discrimination."
Media outlets talk about how this is just a political statement while real discrimination is for health.
New laws enacted so only govt can approve discrimination.
You're welcome, kings.
Let's discuss medical AI in my business.
Trying to predict which patients have which disease from healthcare data is no easy feat.
It involves exploring thousands of different classifiers, configuration parameters, features, neural networks, clever preprocessing techniques.
I work mostly with image and signal processing (an image is really just a 2D [X-RAY] or 3D [MRI] signal, so it's the same thing in another dimension).
This involves extracting features and applying filters to the signal, boiling it down to a single prediction: "HEALTHY" / "NOT".
Modern AI uses neural networks to try out thousands of combinations of filters (like snapchat filters) to the patient's images or signals.
Filters of filters of filters of filters.
Think of it like filtering the image until it's either all white (HEALTHY) or all black (NOT).
The old school way was to manually design filters, and then throw the filtered image into Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, or more recently XGBoost.
It takes your "hand-crafted features" and tries millions of combinations of "if"/"then" statements to spit out HEALTHY/NOT.
Deep learning techniques like Inception or Resnet connect different neurons to each other in a unique architecture.
It then takes a collection of known patient images, with known HEALTHY/NOT labels from a doctor, and feeds an MRI into the network.
It spits out HEALTHY or NOT.
It may be 80% confident you're HEALTHY, but you're actually NOT. It was wrong. By ΔError=0.80
Backpropagation is a technique where you use calculus to calculate the derivative (D=∂Error/∂Filter) to determine how much each filter must change, in order to have gotten it right.
Now, with deep learning, you don't change the architecture (how the neurons defining the filters are connected to one another).
Inception has one static architecture, Resnet another.
Only bleeding edge researchers try letting the architecture change as well, but I won't tell 🤫.
You take your derivative equation from calculus (D=∂Error/∂Filter) and mathematically determine how much each neuron's filter value would have to change to have gotten it correct (ie. this patient = NOT).
Millions of values, all tweaked a bit (dampened by its learning rate).
Now you've updated your neurons for a batch size of 1.
They're ready, they're smarter, they're stronger, their filters will definitely get the next patient's diagnosis correct!
You feed in a new patient's MRI.
This time, the filters are 60% confident it's HEALTHY...
Correct!
Score 1 for the AI.
But wait, it was only 60% confident.
It should have been 100% confident.
It was actually wrong by 40%.
ΔError=0.40
Sure, the last patient it was wrong 80%, so it got a bit "smarter", but there is still much room for improvement.
Backpropagation is then applied in half a millisecond, and the neuron's filters have been tweaked again.
Definitely getting smarter.
Repeat this for millions of times, with millions of images, over and over and over again.
Voila! You've trained a bleeding edge neural network.
Give those neurons a patient's MRI, it'll apply its filters and and tell you if they're HEALTHY.
And it'll be correct!
Well, maybe 70%-80% of the time.
The other times, it'll overconfidently misdiagnose a patient's MRI - we need cleverer architectures.
But that's the bleeding edge.
Same process for 1D signals, 2D X-Rays, 3D MRI scans.
Many other AI areas like EMR's, blood work, drug recommendations for cancer treatments.
And obviously more to it, I oversimplified it a bit.
But there you have it, folks - modern medical AI.
Trying to predict which patients have which disease from healthcare data is no easy feat.
It involves exploring thousands of different classifiers, configuration parameters, features, neural networks, clever preprocessing techniques.
I work mostly with image and signal processing (an image is really just a 2D [X-RAY] or 3D [MRI] signal, so it's the same thing in another dimension).
This involves extracting features and applying filters to the signal, boiling it down to a single prediction: "HEALTHY" / "NOT".
Modern AI uses neural networks to try out thousands of combinations of filters (like snapchat filters) to the patient's images or signals.
Filters of filters of filters of filters.
Think of it like filtering the image until it's either all white (HEALTHY) or all black (NOT).
The old school way was to manually design filters, and then throw the filtered image into Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, or more recently XGBoost.
It takes your "hand-crafted features" and tries millions of combinations of "if"/"then" statements to spit out HEALTHY/NOT.
Deep learning techniques like Inception or Resnet connect different neurons to each other in a unique architecture.
It then takes a collection of known patient images, with known HEALTHY/NOT labels from a doctor, and feeds an MRI into the network.
It spits out HEALTHY or NOT.
It may be 80% confident you're HEALTHY, but you're actually NOT. It was wrong. By ΔError=0.80
Backpropagation is a technique where you use calculus to calculate the derivative (D=∂Error/∂Filter) to determine how much each filter must change, in order to have gotten it right.
Now, with deep learning, you don't change the architecture (how the neurons defining the filters are connected to one another).
Inception has one static architecture, Resnet another.
Only bleeding edge researchers try letting the architecture change as well, but I won't tell 🤫.
You take your derivative equation from calculus (D=∂Error/∂Filter) and mathematically determine how much each neuron's filter value would have to change to have gotten it correct (ie. this patient = NOT).
Millions of values, all tweaked a bit (dampened by its learning rate).
Now you've updated your neurons for a batch size of 1.
They're ready, they're smarter, they're stronger, their filters will definitely get the next patient's diagnosis correct!
You feed in a new patient's MRI.
This time, the filters are 60% confident it's HEALTHY...
Correct!
Score 1 for the AI.
But wait, it was only 60% confident.
It should have been 100% confident.
It was actually wrong by 40%.
ΔError=0.40
Sure, the last patient it was wrong 80%, so it got a bit "smarter", but there is still much room for improvement.
Backpropagation is then applied in half a millisecond, and the neuron's filters have been tweaked again.
Definitely getting smarter.
Repeat this for millions of times, with millions of images, over and over and over again.
Voila! You've trained a bleeding edge neural network.
Give those neurons a patient's MRI, it'll apply its filters and and tell you if they're HEALTHY.
And it'll be correct!
Well, maybe 70%-80% of the time.
The other times, it'll overconfidently misdiagnose a patient's MRI - we need cleverer architectures.
But that's the bleeding edge.
Same process for 1D signals, 2D X-Rays, 3D MRI scans.
Many other AI areas like EMR's, blood work, drug recommendations for cancer treatments.
And obviously more to it, I oversimplified it a bit.
But there you have it, folks - modern medical AI.
Forwarded from Verissimus
To truly observe
Is to become a Detached Rational
Dispassionate observer of life itself
So that you may see the things, as they are
Gradually, you will feel
That life bends to your will, my friends
Is to become a Detached Rational
Dispassionate observer of life itself
So that you may see the things, as they are
Gradually, you will feel
That life bends to your will, my friends
Forwarded from Conscious Reflection- A Conscious Revolution
REFLECTION:
Quite often it is the question of “who am I ?” which plagues those seeking more within this life. A question which appears seemingly unanswerable when pursued with language. The words fall flat as they are etched upon the page, also faltering upon the lips. There is power in the word, of that there is no doubt, but here in the description of self it appears to take hollow form. How is it that this only means of description we have, cannot describe exactly who we are? Is who we are not an ethereal feeling, something akin to a memory, that resides deep within us? Seen when we are in motion, fully absorbed in presence with fixed attention to a space and reality just beyond our grasp. Is this not when we feel truly alive, steeped in the beauty of life? A reconnection to the being which burst forth into this world free in spirit.
So often we are told who we are in this life. We begin to let these words of doubt and degradation burrow into our overactive minds. These foreign thoughts fester like an open wound, imploring us to settle for much less than we are inherently worth. A discarding of the natural power that resides within us all to an extent. We have subverted our genuine nature and our sacred consciousness to fit into a social artifice erected to tame us. A design which seeks our submission through compliance and bureaucratic foolishness. Slow death in a world that no longer has appetite for genuine adventure. A world where risk and hardship are no longer valued as experiences which open a window to the soul.
So ask yourself, or rather, connect with yourself outside of mere words, so you can rediscover the true self which wells up from the depths of consciousness. The long forgotten expression buried in an unmarked grave. Secrets of the mind lying in wait. Do not settle for the madness of tepid fools, for you are a creature of magnificent glory. You would do well to remember the divine rooted within.
Quite often it is the question of “who am I ?” which plagues those seeking more within this life. A question which appears seemingly unanswerable when pursued with language. The words fall flat as they are etched upon the page, also faltering upon the lips. There is power in the word, of that there is no doubt, but here in the description of self it appears to take hollow form. How is it that this only means of description we have, cannot describe exactly who we are? Is who we are not an ethereal feeling, something akin to a memory, that resides deep within us? Seen when we are in motion, fully absorbed in presence with fixed attention to a space and reality just beyond our grasp. Is this not when we feel truly alive, steeped in the beauty of life? A reconnection to the being which burst forth into this world free in spirit.
So often we are told who we are in this life. We begin to let these words of doubt and degradation burrow into our overactive minds. These foreign thoughts fester like an open wound, imploring us to settle for much less than we are inherently worth. A discarding of the natural power that resides within us all to an extent. We have subverted our genuine nature and our sacred consciousness to fit into a social artifice erected to tame us. A design which seeks our submission through compliance and bureaucratic foolishness. Slow death in a world that no longer has appetite for genuine adventure. A world where risk and hardship are no longer valued as experiences which open a window to the soul.
So ask yourself, or rather, connect with yourself outside of mere words, so you can rediscover the true self which wells up from the depths of consciousness. The long forgotten expression buried in an unmarked grave. Secrets of the mind lying in wait. Do not settle for the madness of tepid fools, for you are a creature of magnificent glory. You would do well to remember the divine rooted within.
The "climate crisis" is just our will-to-power manifesting. The instinct to control Earth's climate.
In a few centuries there will be a "solar crisis" as the will-to-power tries to control our Sun.
In a few millennia a "galactic crisis" as we desire power over the Milky Way.
It's amoral - neither good nor bad.
It's simply our instinct to control the environment.
But the problem is people fail to recognize it in themselves, deluding themselves it's for morality whereas it's really about power.
Not bad power, just power over nature. It's healthy.
Terraforming.
In a few centuries there will be a "solar crisis" as the will-to-power tries to control our Sun.
In a few millennia a "galactic crisis" as we desire power over the Milky Way.
It's amoral - neither good nor bad.
It's simply our instinct to control the environment.
But the problem is people fail to recognize it in themselves, deluding themselves it's for morality whereas it's really about power.
Not bad power, just power over nature. It's healthy.
Terraforming.