(-Death)rant.net

This month, I had to fight a really nasty depression, but it’s getting better now, mostly thanks to the incredibly good cognitive therapy book Feeling Good by David D. Burns. So, let’s take a view at my monthly webpage finds, sorted by topics.

Ethics

• A thorough explanation of consequentialism.
• A thorough explanation of deontology.
• Essays on reducing suffering: Very important thoughts about utilitarianism.
• Paradise Engineering: A short and more readable version of the hedonistic imperative with nice pictures.
• Refutations of 10 possible objections against superhappiness.
• Practical ethics (blog) – as opposed to impractical ethics.
• Applied practical ethics: Dreamcatcher Diary: A horse sanctuary blog.
• Pea Soup: A blog dedicated to philosophy, ethics, and academia.

Transhumanism

• August 14-15, San Francisco, CA: Singularity Summit 2010
• October 22-24, Milano, Italy: Transvision 2010
• Ship of Fools: Why Transhumanism is the Best Bet to Prevent the Extinction of Civilization
• Existential Risk Reduction Career Network – not to be confused with the Existential Career Reduction Risk Network, which doesn’t exist (yet).
• An IEET article about the personality uploading platforms Lifenaut and CyBeRev Project by the Terasem Movement.
• Eclipse Phase pen & paper RPG: “A roleplaying game of transhuman conspiracy and horror.”
• MJSL2050 (chairwoman of the German transhumanist association De:Trans) has a personal blog now – cool: With Twitter embedding!
• “Carboncopies is a nonprofit organisation with a goal of creating a networking and outreach community around the central idea of Advancing Substrate Independent Minds (ASIM).” What are they talking about? Mind uploading!
• Here’s an interesting alternative to vitrifying your head: Chemical brain preservation! Signing the open letter on brain preservation might help making this option (legally) possible.
• The Future And You: The best speculative fiction news podcast (at least in 2006)!
• Happy Morning in Hedonistia, July 22, 2050: A short story about daily life in 2050. Not bad, although it’s a bit too conservative from my point of view.
• The Speculist: A positive transhumanism and emerging technologies (short attention span) blog.
• This section about transhumanism is completed by a wonderful nanorgasm.

Technology and other fancy stuff

• This looks like fun: A digital multi-touch intstrument called LinnStrument
• Nani? Kore wa futuristic mega-projects desu yo!
• In the browsergame Ars Regendi I finally managed to turn the USA into a state (called Our Glorious Uber Progress) with a decent basic income guarantee and low taxes – economic growth for the win!
• Here’s a video about a female android which can feel “pain”. If this development becomes really serious, then we need to have a discussion about robot/AI rights!
• Optical microscopy at the sub-nanometer (!) scale! o.O
• OpenEEG: A site about open-source software for neurofeedback with self-made EEG devices.
• The Interplanetary Internet: Towards a Matrioshka Brain? (of course, with web 3.0, whatever that means or will mean…)
• Print your food!

Philosophy

• Philosopher’s Digest (TM): A blog on philosophy with trademark! o.O
• An interesting paper about the philosophical implications of inflationary cosmology (PDF file).

Education

• Unschooling: Yay! Deconstruct schools – asap!
• How to solve mathematical problems: About an really useful book from George Polya
• Cheap and effective computer based learning for kids.

Psychology

• The lie of the false memory syndrome.
• Bering in Mind: A blog about various curious topics, for example this one: Zoophiles make scientists rethink human sexuality (unthinking it would be more revolutionary, though – see Queer theory).
• An excellent analysis of the reasons why nerds are unpopular.
• A pinch of Zen: General semantics and mindfulness.
• In case of psychological suboptimality apply a cognitive behavioral therapy, for example rational emotive behavior therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, or the most interesting sounding dialectical behavior therapy.
• Social anxiety disorder can also be treated with Mirtazapine, which has rather interesting side effects, for example:
  • enhanced libido and sexual function
  • vivid, bizarre, lucid dreams or nightmares
  • wet dreams or nocturnal emission
  • spontaneous orgasm
  • mild hallucinogenic effects
• Operant conditioning (the use of consequences to modify the occurrence and form of behavior), shaping (differential reinforcement of successive approximations) and exposure therapy are effective behaviour modification methods.

Health

• An action guide for enhancing personal energy and mental clarity.
• 11 reasons to stop eating dairy and 50 ways to never waste food again.

Music tip: Solar Fake – The Shield (official lyrics)