Reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels. They were written in the 50s-60s and its pretty astounding how he seems to have predicted how empire decline comes with a loss of technical and scientific expertise and society falls into anarchy as no-one can think from first principles anymore. Everyone becomes obsessed with social and political discourse because they have nothing to inspire them and the institutions eventually break down due to in-fighting.
Sounds familiar
Anyone have any advice on how to easily buy BTC peer-to-peer in the UK?
The UK FCA now requires you to state that you won't be allocating more than 10% of your net worth to crypto before buying from a UK-regulated exchange. Why does this feel like I'm in section 6102 of the library...
Gladstein: "Check your Financial Privilege", as well as "Hidden Repression".
I'm also in the middle of "Broken Money" by Lyn Alden which is so far a masterpiece.
#Bitcoin #mining average J/TH ≈ 25.4
#Powerconsumption roughly 90TWh/year
Net #Emissions 15 Million Tonnes CO2/year. #Climate
https://nostrcheck.me/media/public/nostrcheck.me_6470661955592969341690239737.webp
Interestingly, although hash rate is climbing (mainly due to vast improvements in ASIC efficiency) Bitcoin's emissions are starting to plateau due to improvements in Grid carbon intensity & fully expected to drop following subsequent halving events.
The dotted blue line is MT CO₂ minus mitigation such as mining with Methane + Home/ Business heating. Other mitigating factors not included are mining curtailment/ demand response schemes & banking sector curtailment.
The large drop in emissions during 2021 is due to the China mining ban followed by the subsequent move of much of the hash rate to the US where grid carbon intensity is generally lower.
https://nostrcheck.me/media/public/nostrcheck.me_8180789012633440551690240223.webp
Bitcoin is arguably the best hope for the environment, not just because of its function as a buyer of last resort supporting renewable buildout, miners' propensity to use wasted and stranded methane, and its potential to replace fiat (which has had such severe consequences for the environment on so many levels the overall harm done is probably incalculable).
Even leaving those aside, the fact that it allows us to visualise radically new ways of designing society from the ground up. For example, bitcoin enabling Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion to be profitable in international waters, where startup cities (with novel legal and political structures) can conceivably be built around. This would afford completely unexplored opportunities around environmental sustainability.
Sanity wins out in the end. Stay humble and stack sats.
Thoughts Prompted by “Rich Men from Richmond”: Including One About Celebration
From The Occidental Observer
I’ve been especially taken by the “Rich Men North of Richmond” phenomenon that’s so big in the news these days (it’s late August of ‘23). As you know—no need for a lot of exposition here—it’s a song by a heretofore unknown singer/songwriter who goes by the name of Oliver Anthony. As The New York Times […]
Aug 29th 2023 9:58am EDT
Internet Archive Link: https://web.archive.org/web/20230829141026/https://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2023/08/29/thoughts-prompted-by-rich-men-from-richmond-including-one-about-celebration/
Share, promote & comment with Nostr: https://dissentwatch.com/boost/?boost_post_id=609008
The song is authentic and that resonates.
John Vervaeke would like to work with Elon Musk at X AI to develop benevolent AGI.
(See 1:38 - 7:33 in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVwrWjXA7WU)
For those who don't know, John is a cognitive scientist at the forefront of the study of wisdom, mysticism and transcendent experience.
If this happens, it could greatly improve our chances of net getting annihilated by a paperclip maximiser. It could also mean the development of "Silicon Sages" that can help humanity gain the collective wisdom needed to solve some of our biggest civilizational problems.
This is my experience having been in academia for 4+ years working with world-leading scientific "experts". Never defer judgement, always subject anything to an internal shit-test.
Is this a full TV show for kids? I want to watch the full thing, what's it called?
What is the purpose of a #zapathon?
Lightning splicing
Besides social media, what other area of society needs this?
We have at our disposal the full freedom tech stack. Bitcoin, Lighting, Fedimint, Nostr. What a time to be alive
Ah, I'm still in twitter mode. Yeah, using the same client each time, didn't think of relays I'll check that thanks
Hey I'm new here. Not sure why my posts and followers disappear after I log out and back in. Anyone know?