Why not “what specifically should scientists focus on to develop functional near or faster than light space travel?” Then people can just go check where the aliens are or are not!
I think @[email protected] meant dogs with sunglasses riding motorcycles. Because I think we all agree here that all dogs are indeed very, VERY good dogs.
I sympathise, but the cliché is not strictly true. Nature is all about diversity. Just like humans have a certain ratio of "bad apples" born where someone is hard wired wrong, so do dogs, and likely all animals.
Psychopathology is real. It would be a mistake to deny Nature it's agency. There are people who belong in an institution. Dogs perhaps moreso.
To your point, yes most problems are attributable to bad trainers, but even here there is something missing. Bad breeders - natural reproduction would select for fitness, and truly bad dogs would be limited to a small fraction of background instances. We have lots of people actively breeding killers with outsized agression and fear and ferocity, with hair triggers, on purpose. I'm not talking about guard dogs where fierce protective instincts are balanced with loyalty and bonding and intelligence. I mean literal psychokillers.
I'm circling around Pit-Bulls and the like, but I need to be clear. The breed is fine. Some of my best friends are pit bulls. Diversity naturally makes most of them good dogs, just more context dependant and trainer demanding. I'm not talking about those. I'm only referring to a small subset that were overbred and the natural background level of freakshow.
If you've only known pets from reputable breeders, accidental litters or the shelter rescues, understand that these select for the good dogs. If that's all you know, you would have reason to doubt that bad dogs are possible.
Not specific enough, what if the next $500 million dollar equivalent payout is in another country and you miss it? Maybe specify the next US Powerball over $500 million?
Might be different up here in Canada. But up here you can either ask for a random ticket, or you can fill in a card with the numbers that you want (lucky numbers, etc...)
Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q:
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A:
1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element...
While funny, this answer to the question is useless, thus making the question not actually be good, so the answer would have to be different. The only issue is it could lead to a paradox, where if the answer were to be useful the question would actually be good, possibly the best, which would mean it should've been the answer, etc.
Life long education, as time passes you will encounter unlimited questions and also with time you will develop more correct answers than you did previously.
The physical processes themselves are the so-called subjective conscious experience in a way that cannot be better described by an abstraction.
There's no such thing as a conscious experience without physical processes and no hard-line difference between different physical reactions that would differentiate consciousness and non-consciousness.
By consciousness I mean the fact of experience - that it feels like something to be. That things have qualia.
It's perfectly conceivable to imagine a human-like creature acting just like us and having a brain processing all that information, but it doesn't feel like anything to be that creature. A philosophical zombie, so to speak.
That's what's utterly mystical to me. How can physical processes inside the brain give rise to subjective experiences i.e. consciousness?
What I imagine to be the "true" answer to the question is that "consciousness" isn't really real, but if it's thought of as a result of physical/chemical properties, then there's no dividing line between what reactions count as consciousness (ie, a waterfall or tectonic plate could also be conscious).
You can't prove that you experience that sort of intangible experience and it can't be measured or well-defined, so I'm personally inclined to not really believe in it at all.
OR if we do accept that it's a result of chemical reactions and we want to define it in terms of those, then there's not a strong reason to differentiate a human experience from rocks or computers or waterfalls.
I think people are inclined to think that such a thing exists because we have the abilities of memory and communication, but the concept itself I think is not very useful. Which is why I suspect that a magically True answer would say that the physicality of the brain itself is as close as you can get to that idea.
Well, there's zero doubt whether I'm conscious myself. It's the only thing in the entire universe that I'm absolutely sure cannot be an illusion, because the fact that it is like something to be me (whatever "me" is) is undeniable from my subjective perspective.
But you're right that I can't make absolute statements about the conscious states of other people, animals, or even inanimate objects like rocks. I'm fairly certain that other humans are conscious too. This applies to animals as well, and it's probably like something to be an insect. A rock, however? I'm not going to claim with absolute certainty that it's not like anything to be a rock, but the thought of that is so incomprehensible that I don't really waste much time even thinking about it.
somebody will argue that consciousness was there first and the whole body + brain is actually kind of a dream ...
(not how i view it though. i have a different answer)
my answer is that consciousness does not emanate from the brain at all, but from the fact that we are alive. in other words, i believe that consciousness is a property that many or all forms of life have evolved to have because/as long as it is advantageous to them. this view is called "existentialism" btw. things derive from the fact that we exist (as living beings).
I don't think that's existentialism. Existentialism is about the meaning of human existence, freedom, and authenticity - not about whether consciousness emerges from the brain or from being alive. Your view sounds more like a some form of panpsychism.
“What will be the official winning numbers, stated as five white-ball numbers in ascending order, followed by the Mega Ball and the Megaplier, for the Mega Millions drawing held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time?”
That's why I said cost effective, so it could be a grass roots movement without the need of a government if needed. Though I am sure many would be all for it since climate change will wreck their country and the knowledge alone could be implemented at any time as things get more and more desperate.
I don't usually see people considering the possibility that P = NP but it is a large polynomial conversion. If it's x^64 or something then a 256 bit AES key would baloon to 2^(8*64) = 2^(512) which is still massive.
Chidi is a main character from the show The Good Place. If you have any interest in ethical philosophy, it’s a great and accessible show. And if you’re not interested in ethical philosophy, it’s still a great show!
Winning lottery numbers for next draw.
When will humanity go extinct?
Where are the nearest 1 billion species with near human level intelligence or greater.
How do we safely and conveniently travel faster than light.
Have you ever had a dream that you, um, you had, your, you- you could, you’ll do, you- you wants, you, you could do so, you- you’ll do, you could- you, you want, you want him to do you so much you could do anything?
"Unfortunately in about 10 seconds after you receive the answer, you accidentally fall as you are jumping up and down celebrating, you hit your head and you're in a coma until you get cut off 50 years later and officially die"
What happened with 'the safe' that was on reddit years ago? OP never posted followup. Is he still alive? Was he taken by the underpeople? Did he release an eldritch monster?
How can I reasonably communicate with an entity that knows everything about the universe?
Theres a lot packed in here: If the universe is finite, and there's an entity that knows everything, and I can communicate with that entity, i can ask the entity any question, giving me infinite responses.
Yes, the question is my initial question, which can be answered differently based on the facts of the universe. If they are able to answer the question, I get infinite questions from another entity. If the question cannot be answered, ill learn something else about the universe.
Given a normal gaming computer running the most currently up to date version of Linux Mint and the rust programming language, what is the code required to make a program that can send files back in time without the need of anything more than a gigabyte of RAM to be able to send it if a single character is called out in the English language every 5 seconds until the code is completed?
JK, well it's not better today so let's suffer less is my opinion. It's not like L E.V is some sort of invincibility pill either, and to pile on top if that, rulers might think twice if they have to be around when their consequences (like fucking up the planet/their country) arrive.
Maybe people having an extra century or two will figure out things too, today is so hectic most people don't have the time to get into politics.
Why do you think it would make some sort of deadlock if aging could be reversed enough?
How do I, within the span of a day, gain the magical ability to grant myself an unlimited amount of wishes I desire without suffering any consequences that I would consider to be negative?
Aye, it's going to get a lot worse. Especially for those in countries without the infrastructure to have air conditioning or homes built for temperatures like which we've never seen.
As I pondered at what I could possibly ask, I blurted out "Do I get time to think about this or do I have to ask it like... right now?"
OH SHIT FUCK I DIDN'T MEAN TO ASK....
"It doesn't matter anymore, now you don't."
And with that, I realized... I FUCKED UP...
:+
Where is the nearest intelligent life outside the solar system?
I'd rephrase and ask "where is the most similarly advanced - relative to humans- intelligent life outside the solar system.
I wanna weed out all the low hanging fruit and find folks we might have a chance of talking to at some point.
At that point, why go for 'similarly advanced'? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to target intelligent life that has far outdone our own technologies?
We would probably have a better chance at real communication with them too
Nah, then they could murder us... It's safer to find one just advanced enough but not too advanced...
The Avatar movie depicts what could happen in a scenario where we find intelligent life, but we're the more advanced civilization.
Why not “what specifically should scientists focus on to develop functional near or faster than light space travel?” Then people can just go check where the aliens are or are not!
Who's a good boy?
All dogs
Not all. There are some bad boys out there.
There are no bad dogs. Only bad trainers. Its a human problem.
I think @[email protected] meant dogs with sunglasses riding motorcycles. Because I think we all agree here that all dogs are indeed very, VERY good dogs.
I sympathise, but the cliché is not strictly true. Nature is all about diversity. Just like humans have a certain ratio of "bad apples" born where someone is hard wired wrong, so do dogs, and likely all animals.
Psychopathology is real. It would be a mistake to deny Nature it's agency. There are people who belong in an institution. Dogs perhaps moreso.
To your point, yes most problems are attributable to bad trainers, but even here there is something missing. Bad breeders - natural reproduction would select for fitness, and truly bad dogs would be limited to a small fraction of background instances. We have lots of people actively breeding killers with outsized agression and fear and ferocity, with hair triggers, on purpose. I'm not talking about guard dogs where fierce protective instincts are balanced with loyalty and bonding and intelligence. I mean literal psychokillers.
I'm circling around Pit-Bulls and the like, but I need to be clear. The breed is fine. Some of my best friends are pit bulls. Diversity naturally makes most of them good dogs, just more context dependant and trainer demanding. I'm not talking about those. I'm only referring to a small subset that were overbred and the natural background level of freakshow.
If you've only known pets from reputable breeders, accidental litters or the shelter rescues, understand that these select for the good dogs. If that's all you know, you would have reason to doubt that bad dogs are possible.
What are next weeks lottery numbers?
Might get stuck with a small payout.
"What are the winning numbers for the next lottery drawing with a payout of over $500 million?"
Not specific enough, what if the next $500 million dollar equivalent payout is in another country and you miss it? Maybe specify the next US Powerball over $500 million?
Why stop there? 1 billion please. It reaches this like 1 to 2 times a year now.
Edit: just for clarification that becomes 477 million lump sum after taxes.
Well in that case, it's hardly worth it for such a pittance. Chump change at that point.
Does knowing the numbers actually help? Don't you have to then go find the correct ticket?
Might be different up here in Canada. But up here you can either ask for a random ticket, or you can fill in a card with the numbers that you want (lucky numbers, etc...)
No you can either select the numbers manually or have them chosen randomly.
do all non-trivial roots of the Riemann zeta function have the form 0.5+xi, and why or why not
The 'why or why not' makes it 2 questions.
why or why not do all non-trivial roots of the Riemann zeta function have the form 0.5+xi?
fuck yes, mine too
What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
The omnipotent being in question may not enjoy this programmer's ploy to wish for more wishes.
It's technically quite clever, but depending on who you're asking, it could be dangerous route to take.
Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
2 - Q: What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element is the answer to that question?
A: 1 - What is the two element set where the first element is the best possible question I could ask and the second element...
While funny, this answer to the question is useless, thus making the question not actually be good, so the answer would have to be different. The only issue is it could lead to a paradox, where if the answer were to be useful the question would actually be good, possibly the best, which would mean it should've been the answer, etc.
I think you would break the machine or deity or whatever with that question xd
Is the answer to this question no?
"No, it is not."
Maybe.
"How do I guarantee myself unlimited more correct answers?"
If it's already possible to give one, then tell me how to remove the limit lol
"This is impossible. Goodbye."
Asking a loaded question doesn't automatically make the premise true.
The genie or whatever the hell it is then tells you what you should have asked in order to get unlimited questions, and then disappears forever.
"You can't."
Life long education, as time passes you will encounter unlimited questions and also with time you will develop more correct answers than you did previously.
Easy: How does subjective conscious experience arise from physical processes in the brain?
"It's complicated."
The physical processes themselves are the so-called subjective conscious experience in a way that cannot be better described by an abstraction.
There's no such thing as a conscious experience without physical processes and no hard-line difference between different physical reactions that would differentiate consciousness and non-consciousness.
By consciousness I mean the fact of experience - that it feels like something to be. That things have qualia.
It's perfectly conceivable to imagine a human-like creature acting just like us and having a brain processing all that information, but it doesn't feel like anything to be that creature. A philosophical zombie, so to speak.
That's what's utterly mystical to me. How can physical processes inside the brain give rise to subjective experiences i.e. consciousness?
What I imagine to be the "true" answer to the question is that "consciousness" isn't really real, but if it's thought of as a result of physical/chemical properties, then there's no dividing line between what reactions count as consciousness (ie, a waterfall or tectonic plate could also be conscious).
You can't prove that you experience that sort of intangible experience and it can't be measured or well-defined, so I'm personally inclined to not really believe in it at all.
OR if we do accept that it's a result of chemical reactions and we want to define it in terms of those, then there's not a strong reason to differentiate a human experience from rocks or computers or waterfalls.
I think people are inclined to think that such a thing exists because we have the abilities of memory and communication, but the concept itself I think is not very useful. Which is why I suspect that a magically True answer would say that the physicality of the brain itself is as close as you can get to that idea.
Well, there's zero doubt whether I'm conscious myself. It's the only thing in the entire universe that I'm absolutely sure cannot be an illusion, because the fact that it is like something to be me (whatever "me" is) is undeniable from my subjective perspective.
But you're right that I can't make absolute statements about the conscious states of other people, animals, or even inanimate objects like rocks. I'm fairly certain that other humans are conscious too. This applies to animals as well, and it's probably like something to be an insect. A rock, however? I'm not going to claim with absolute certainty that it's not like anything to be a rock, but the thought of that is so incomprehensible that I don't really waste much time even thinking about it.
somebody will argue that consciousness was there first and the whole body + brain is actually kind of a dream ...
(not how i view it though. i have a different answer)
my answer is that consciousness does not emanate from the brain at all, but from the fact that we are alive. in other words, i believe that consciousness is a property that many or all forms of life have evolved to have because/as long as it is advantageous to them. this view is called "existentialism" btw. things derive from the fact that we exist (as living beings).
I don't think that's existentialism. Existentialism is about the meaning of human existence, freedom, and authenticity - not about whether consciousness emerges from the brain or from being alive. Your view sounds more like a some form of panpsychism.
“What will be the official winning numbers, stated as five white-ball numbers in ascending order, followed by the Mega Ball and the Megaplier, for the Mega Millions drawing held on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time?”
You get the answer - the day after, on Wednesday. I don't see any time-guarantee in the statement.
I can ask the longest and most complete question ever posed but if the genie is a trickster it's always going to pan out that way.
Monkey's paw: You get the numbers but miraculously 10,000 other people also get the winning numbers.
Ha ha this is really a good one, well done!
What is the most cost effective and realistic way to reverse climate change back to an early 1800s climate and maintain it there indefinitely?
Then you know what to do and get even more frustrated seeing governments all over the world ignore your advice.
That's why I said cost effective, so it could be a grass roots movement without the need of a government if needed. Though I am sure many would be all for it since climate change will wreck their country and the knowledge alone could be implemented at any time as things get more and more desperate.
Hint: it's not because of costs that they won't let you do it.
"Plague."
Oh, that's a biggie. Can I think about it?
As long as you like but it's not valuable anymore.
Does P = NP?
You have to ask for the proof otherwise noone will believe you
I imagine getting a yes answer would be enough to cause quite a bit of chaos lol. it would almost be more fun watching people squirm to figure it out.
Also, if the answer is guaranteed to be correct, it would be silly to not believe it..
I don't usually see people considering the possibility that P = NP but it is a large polynomial conversion. If it's x^64 or something then a 256 bit AES key would baloon to 2^(8*64) = 2^(512) which is still massive.
What information would be the most useful to have for me to achieve the best life I can before my death?
"What the meaning of life is."
Be yourself
Does P=NP?
Why?
Are you Chidi Anagoñe?
i don't get that reference
Chidi is a main character from the show The Good Place. If you have any interest in ethical philosophy, it’s a great and accessible show. And if you’re not interested in ethical philosophy, it’s still a great show!
What is the answer to life the universe and everything? You know, just for confirmation.
Repeatability is key in science.
Winning lottery numbers for next draw. When will humanity go extinct? Where are the nearest 1 billion species with near human level intelligence or greater. How do we safely and conveniently travel faster than light.
So many to choose.
That's why you get 1.
Fine. Winning lottery numbers then. I can ponder the depths of the other ineffable questions from a beach with a tasty beverage somewhere nice.
I detect that your question is:
"Which question among those questions is the best?"
Answer: the one with the billion species.
Goodbye!
Have you ever had a dream that you, um, you had, your, you- you could, you’ll do, you- you wants, you, you could do so, you- you’ll do, you could- you, you want, you want him to do you so much you could do anything?
"Yep"
Does it get better?
How can I make sure I don't misspell guaranteed when posting? I would share the answer.
OK
What's tomorrow's lottery numbers?
From the whole planet? Here they come all in one string:
1,2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,....... ,49
What is the text of a json file containing every private key used for encryption and its associated context, sorted by political and financial value?
God: "okay, listen carefully because I'll just read it once."
What comes after death?
Monkey's paw: You get the answer but you are also granted immortality.
Win-win
What is the full content of the Epstein files?
(Hope you don't mind if I'm recording you while you give the answer...)
What are the exact steps I need to take to butterfly effect world communism into existence as soon as possible.
For a less consequential question: where is the incan sun disk, does it still exist.
What is the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe and Everything?
That one has been answered long ago.
The answer to the Ultimate Question to Life, the Universe and Everything is 42.
But what is the question?
When was the last time my father carried me on his shoulders?
When will I die?
Now. Poof. /s
I could see a Genie doing that and being smug.
You sure you want that?
How come? Want to do stupid stuff?
"You die in 50 years..."
5 seconds later...
"Unfortunately in about 10 seconds after you receive the answer, you accidentally fall as you are jumping up and down celebrating, you hit your head and you're in a coma until you get cut off 50 years later and officially die"
...
The End
Sleepily ever after...
What happened with 'the safe' that was on reddit years ago? OP never posted followup. Is he still alive? Was he taken by the underpeople? Did he release an eldritch monster?
Can you give me the exact locations of all lost civilizations? Ideally any that have Pompeii-like level of preservation.
Yes.
Goodbye.
How can I reasonably communicate with an entity that knows everything about the universe?
Theres a lot packed in here: If the universe is finite, and there's an entity that knows everything, and I can communicate with that entity, i can ask the entity any question, giving me infinite responses.
But what if that entity is being a dick and refuse to answer any questions?
You get one question.
Yes, the question is my initial question, which can be answered differently based on the facts of the universe. If they are able to answer the question, I get infinite questions from another entity. If the question cannot be answered, ill learn something else about the universe.
Ohhh
42
Could you give me a minute to think it over? Oh, wait, shit...
What is the question-answer pair that would be most-advantageous to me?
Why not ask for the next 1000 too?
I assume that the oracle here would handle picking that, if that's optimal.
Infinite recursion bug
Which god(s) is/are correct (and, by association, which are wrong)?
What is Trump's biggest weakness
His heart
Bullets
When will I die.
In the future
How can I live a life that is truly Good? A life that, at it's end, I can look back on and say that I left the world, on net, a better place?
When are you going to die?
What are the exact steps to convert any material into gold?
Oh we can do that it's just prohibitively expensive. Roughly its 1. Create a star...
Or bombard lead with protons.
Downside: Expensive and the gold is radio active.
Given a normal gaming computer running the most currently up to date version of Linux Mint and the rust programming language, what is the code required to make a program that can send files back in time without the need of anything more than a gigabyte of RAM to be able to send it if a single character is called out in the English language every 5 seconds until the code is completed?
Why does the universe exist?
How do we get to Longevity Escape Velocity?
How do we prevent Longevity Escape Velocity from causing a world-wide government deadlock?
That was the worst answer ever!
JK, well it's not better today so let's suffer less is my opinion. It's not like L E.V is some sort of invincibility pill either, and to pile on top if that, rulers might think twice if they have to be around when their consequences (like fucking up the planet/their country) arrive.
Maybe people having an extra century or two will figure out things too, today is so hectic most people don't have the time to get into politics.
Why do you think it would make some sort of deadlock if aging could be reversed enough?
How do I, within the span of a day, gain the magical ability to grant myself an unlimited amount of wishes I desire without suffering any consequences that I would consider to be negative?
"There is no way to do this."
"You don't."
How can humanity survive the coming climate apocalypse?
Adapt. And loads of suffering.
Easy question.
I dont think the majority of the planet's life can adapt to being battered by storms, wildfires, 40-50C heatwaves and flooding
But you're probably right about the suffering
What you're describing is like how it is today in many places. Hold your hat!
Aye, it's going to get a lot worse. Especially for those in countries without the infrastructure to have air conditioning or homes built for temperatures like which we've never seen.