Expected Volume

Arden Koehler, Web director at 80,000 Hours, dives deep into the Effective Altruism (EA) landscape. They debate the impact of AI safety on community growth and whether traditional EA values should be revived. Arden defends the trinity of cause areas as crucial for inclusivity and diverse contributions. The conversation highlights the evolving role of EA, likening it to a religion with moral rituals and community responsibilities, while also exploring scalable actions for AI safety. Insightful takes on community dynamics and moral growth models make for a compelling discussion!

We’re making a list and pledging it twice, gonna find out who’s stingy and nice. This Christmas, Matt and Chana are feeling the cringe as they reflect on their turpitude of failing to get on board with the thing everyone they respect has done. We hope Bentham’s Bulldog can whip us into shape before Santa leaves coal in our too-wealthy stockings. LINKSIf you’re feeling so inspired, take the GWWC pledge! https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/pledgeTWITTER POLL on which of Chana’s incredibly obscure video games you know: https://x.com/Mjreard/status/2004092617165070833As always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.com

Matt ponders his upcoming unemployment (circa September), lack of a system 1, and EA Holy Book concept, for which we bring in the best possible guest to discuss. Unfortunately, Taylor Swift ended up hijacking the conversation.LINKSOn Caring: https://mindingourway.com/on-caring/Unsong: https://unsongbook.com/As always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.com

Chana vexes about whether her newfound twitter hate is her fault which unfolds into a discussion of internet main characters and how shamelessness and forecasting are connected. Also, stick around until the end for the BEST JOKE YOU HAVE EVER HEARDLINKSVpredator1000 (black or asian guy): https://x.com/VLONEPREDATORSBF tucker interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN1CR2dyfo8Nathan’s twitter: https://x.com/NathanpmYoungNathan's Substack: https://nathanpmyoung.substack.com/As always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.com

The conversation kicks off with book recommendations that spiral into rethinking the modern workplace. They delve into the idea of 'pathological truth-telling' and its impact on internal thought processes. Exploring rationalist community norms, they question whether a focus on optimization leads to unhappiness. The duo debates the fungibility of money in donation contexts and discusses how privacy, authority, and social expectations shape human behavior. Rounding off, they share practical life tips on balancing work, relationships, and well-being.

In the first episode we actually *recorded* with a girl, Chana’s boss comes on to defy gender stereotypes by focusing on topics like fashion, dating, weddings, crying, but also moths!As always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.comLINKSr/weddingattireapproval: https://www.reddit.com/r/Weddingattireapproval/Reciprocity pro link: https://buck-reciprocity.herokuapp.com/Matt’s blog about hemming and hawing about the EA label: https://frommatter.substack.com/p/ea-adjacency-as-ftx-traumaKilling the moths: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/Ax5PwjqtrunQJgjsA/killing-the-mothsKilling the ants: https://joecarlsmith.com/2021/02/07/killing-the-antsWe don’t trade with ants: https://worldspiritsockpuppet.substack.com/p/we-dont-trade-with-ants

We resume our popular AI in Context video review series by talking about AIC’s second video on the MechaHitler débâcle. Matt actually thought it was good! It made an argument! But we do need to sort out our relationship to the AI omnicause and figure out what the channel is for. All before we go to the Ren Faire. LINKS:AI in Context MechaHitler Video: https://youtu.be/r_9wkavYt4Y?si=VHjo8zFfouwPDrHSWe Don't Even Have to Try short: https://youtube.com/shorts/Om8KXQt6mDo?si=em3aGLayB08bQdzjScott Dwarkesh clip (in the middle of this long, worth-listening to interview): https://youtu.be/htOvH12T7mU?si=Lb8Mw2ovnuWFX_WBScott list of things he could worry about: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/book-review-if-anyone-builds-it-everyoneAs always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.com

Matt worries he’s disqualified for being insufficiently util-simped and being too preoccupied with the ideas themselves. Julia comes on and tells cute but harrowing tales of her bright children learning about the world. Everyone tried to avoid osteoporosis.LINKS:Julia’s excellent (and excellently named) blog: https://juliawise.net/I regret that I could not find Chana’s LessWrong Declaration of Independence As always, you can email in questions and comments at mattandchana@gmail.com

Chana discovers anti-elitism is a current theme in US politics in this already extremely dated episode from our brief foray into conflict with Iran, a conflict which, like all others so far, we can now put in the win column of Peter Wildeford’s forecasting record. Oh, and the fire alarm goes off. As always, you can email us with questions and comments at: mattandchana@gmail.com

Matt is sad and grasping at topics and thereby inevitably gets squeezed out of the conversation when two teachers come on to do what they do best: gripe about teaching... and parents and protests and workouts and forecasting. Alex's Reflection on his joke paper going viral: https://lawsen.substack.com/p/when-yo...You can email us with questions and comments at: mattandchana@gmail.com