Hallucination, prediction, guessing

Tyler Cowen makes a series of excellent points in a recent post where he muses over the value of large model hallucinations. He notes that he would not like for these systems to stop hallucinating, since the hallucinations have value in representing something. What this something is, he suggests, could be our statistical average view… Continue reading Hallucination, prediction, guessing

Science as remembering – the case of Roman concrete

It is a common mistake to think that modern methods of production are superior to what has come before, or that we are, in our time, at the pinnacle of knowledge. A lot of knowledge has been lost or forgotten over the years, and rediscovering old knowledge can be as powerful as producing entirely new… Continue reading Science as remembering – the case of Roman concrete

Writing politics – ideology and propaganda

What role does writing play in politics? Do we care about intellectuals penning long form essays about the future of the state or about official policy documents setting out frames and ideas for how to approach political issues? Historically the answer has been a very clear 'yes!'. The role writing played in the shaping of… Continue reading Writing politics – ideology and propaganda