zenen's recent activity

  1. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

    zenen
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    It can't transmit information faster than light, but quantum channels still seem like an active field of research! I think there's lots of stuff we have today that was once the realm of science...

    It can't transmit information faster than light, but quantum channels still seem like an active field of research! I think there's lots of stuff we have today that was once the realm of science fiction.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

    zenen
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    Cool, thanks for chiming in. As someone who doesn't really know his stuff, my mental model is that parallel universes are not created or destroyed, but something like concurrent processes which we...

    Cool, thanks for chiming in. As someone who doesn't really know his stuff, my mental model is that parallel universes are not created or destroyed, but something like concurrent processes which we are constantly moving between based on observation. I imagine that quantum technology allows us to determine what the outcome of an observation will be in a small cross-section of higher dimensional space and select the one with a result that we're searching for, with more powerful quantum computers being able to cast a larger field. Is any of this provable, falsifiable, or addressed by current theories?

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

    zenen
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    "Try not to do anything illegal" is a very concerning statement for me, mostly because we are living in an era where fascist ideologies are hot and trending. Twenty years ago, there was no...

    "Try not to do anything illegal" is a very concerning statement for me, mostly because we are living in an era where fascist ideologies are hot and trending. Twenty years ago, there was no widespread attention economy and the internet was a much different place.

    Anyways, I do actually agree with the Many Worlds hypothesis and I consider quantum technology to be something that could allow us to leverage higher dimensions than the ones our physical bodies occupy. What we would do with that, I still don't know! But I hope we can direct it towards making this world a better place for all the beings that inhabit it.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

    zenen
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    To address the main point of interest, I'll qualify myself by saying that I have a degree in Computer Science and at best a vague understanding of anything that happens below compiler level. I...

    To address the main point of interest, I'll qualify myself by saying that I have a degree in Computer Science and at best a vague understanding of anything that happens below compiler level. I totally understand that the world of tech (perhaps science as a whole) is built on layers of abstraction, and at the same time I think that the world of open-source is hugely comforting for me. I like to know that I am depending on as few "black boxes" as possible. I don't understand UV lithography, but I know that I could if I wanted to. I cannot say the same thing about Windows or Squarespace or Instagram, so my philosophy is to suggest that people steer clear of them.

    Personally, I spend a lot of my time analyzing social media and digital identity on the internet, and a big part of what I aspire to do is teaching people how to "own their identity" in the digital world. I think that basic digital literacy is hugely lacking, and I already struggle to concisely explain in simplest terms what a website is and how it works.

    As an 'ambassador of technology', people ask me what programming languages are or how domain names work, and I can usually answer those questions sufficiently. I've got a handle on explaining LLMs now. I don't really understand the implications of quantum computing, however, so I would be at a loss about how to explain this article to someone in layperson terms.

    In general, I would agree that nobody understands everything about modern science. However, I believe that there is a certain degree of fluency that can be attained through study, and that sort of fluency is what enables people to pursue autonomy in the world. I believe that autonomy and ownership is what helps people confront the feelings of alienation, and we are already at a point where people do not feel a real sense of ownership over their online presence. This post isn't really mine, for example, as it doesn't live on my computer. I might make a copy of it, but probably not.

    Seeing this article has made me seriously consider the household quantum chip, and how that will fit in to this larger image that I'm painting. What will people use it for? How will it be 'sold' to us? Will quantum technology become a cornerstone of the next scientific paradigm? Will we be able to leverage concepts such as quantum entanglement to share information over vast distances?

    At the same time, will we even know what to do with it? The technology we already have in our hands could be used to create worldwide support networks and address problems on a global scale, but instead we use it to drive corporate profit and cope with the profound loneliness of our modern day by dissociating into constructed realities. If we bring these same habits and attitudes into the quantum world, I'm concerned that these issues will also be amplified by an order of magnitude - and I don't want to imagine what that might look like.

    7 votes

  5. Comment on Willow - Google's latest quantum chip in ~tech

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    My cousin sent me this today, and after reading the article I've got some mixed feelings. On one hand, quantum computing is an incredible technology that seems like it can push us further forward....

    Today I’m delighted to announce Willow, our latest quantum chip. Willow has state-of-the-art performance across a number of metrics, enabling two major achievements.

    • The first is that Willow can reduce errors exponentially as we scale up using more qubits. This cracks a key challenge in quantum error correction that the field has pursued for almost 30 years.
    • Second, Willow performed a standard benchmark computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 10 septillion (that is, 1025) years — a number that vastly exceeds the age of the Universe.

    My cousin sent me this today, and after reading the article I've got some mixed feelings.

    On one hand, quantum computing is an incredible technology that seems like it can push us further forward. The blog casually mentions parallel universes, which is kind of wild to see from such a major company like Google. Quantum physics has always been an exciting concept for me and having it become 'real' and tangible is fascinating.

    On the other hand, I feel that humanity is already struggling to keep up. I feel a sentiment of "just because we can, do that mean we should?" It occurs to me that a 256-bit quantum computer could likely break a lot of modern encryption algorithms, and trying to get people to understand the quantum paradigm when most already struggle to grapple with classical computation could further alienate people from modern technology.

    What are your thoughts?

    17 votes

  7. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    You make some good points! I could talk about how violence is a function of scarcity in an abundant world (I firmly believe that the problem is not supply but distribution), but at the end of the...

    You make some good points! I could talk about how violence is a function of scarcity in an abundant world (I firmly believe that the problem is not supply but distribution), but at the end of the day I recognize that violence is a historically consistent reality and that my views are more radical than most people are willing to entertain. I appreciate you taking the time to discuss in a non-dismissive way, and I have no further arguments.

    For clarity, I suppose what I'm hoping for is less "dissolution" of the state and more of a metamorphosis. I believe that government is ultimately a good thing, but the current implementation we're working with is clunky, slow, and inefficient. I think that taking on the problems that the next few decades throw at us is going to require a better approach than what we rely on today, and my belief is that Bitcoin will play a role in that. I understand if you disagree with my beliefs, however, and I'd be happy to leave it at that.

  8. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    Fair enough, I would say that my brain has a tendency to make lateral connections between significantly different concepts and I understand that it doesn't always make for a coherent train of...

    Fair enough, I would say that my brain has a tendency to make lateral connections between significantly different concepts and I understand that it doesn't always make for a coherent train of thought.

    My understanding is that people can make a living off of interest and dividends because of the state monopoly on violence. If I default on a handshake loan from a friend, I lose social credit but that's the end of it. People who default on loans from central banks can lose their shelter, livelihood, and most of their major possessions to collections.

    I get that people lived off equity during the era of the gold standard, and I also know that the US forbade the private ownership of gold and gave the president the ability to dictate the exchange rate between USD and gold bullion, allowing them to print more money based on the same amount of gold in the treasury. Without such measures (along with eventually debasing the US dollar from gold), I think that the mechanisms of deflationary economics would have affected things differently.

    There may have been a net profit from the bailouts when adjusting for inflation, but once again - were those profits distributed back to the public, or to shareholders?

  9. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    Hmm, I had to take a moment to think about this - I want to give a good answer. We live within a financial system where banks can essentially "eat their cake and have it too". The Federal Reserve...

    Hmm, I had to take a moment to think about this - I want to give a good answer.

    We live within a financial system where banks can essentially "eat their cake and have it too". The Federal Reserve has executive control over how much new money is printed and where it goes. This money is distributed to central banks. Fractional-reserve banking means that those banks can "hold" the money and also invest it into ETFs and mutual funds - generally large corporations which guarantee ROI. When banks default and are unable to repay, the government bails them out. This creates a system where people who have invested a certain amount of money into hedge funds are able to live off the dividends without any financial risk, i.e. they are not obliged to work.

    This is the inspiration for why Bitcoin was invented. There is no way for anyone to simply 'print more money' in this system. It can be mined, yes, but there are diminishing returns and a hard cap to total supply. Some lucky Bitcoin whales are realistically set for life, yes, but the thermodynamics of a closed system means that the accrued energy will trend towards even distribution over time, resulting in a distribution of wealth where everybody is obliged to work.

    Hopefully this was a concise and intuitive answer, but let me know if there's any obvious gaps in my reasoning.

  10. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    That is the argument, yes. Exceptions include monks, homeless people, children, permaculturists, and "the 1%". Broad as it may be, the point is to highlight that this dynamic is perpetuated by the...

    That is the argument, yes. Exceptions include monks, homeless people, children, permaculturists, and "the 1%". Broad as it may be, the point is to highlight that this dynamic is perpetuated by the economic system we live in.

    I'm not going to make further arguments aside from saying that I am making these points to highlight the reasons why having a system like Bitcoin is important, so you are welcome to dismiss my points as being useless if you feel they don't apply to you.

  11. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    You're right, there's a big difference between being the victim of human trafficking and having a job.

    You're right, there's a big difference between being the victim of human trafficking and having a job.

    1 vote

  12. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    I would argue that being being obliged to work within a system where other people can profit off your work by circumstance of their birth is a modern form of slavery. I am speaking rhetorically...

    I would argue that being being obliged to work within a system where other people can profit off your work by circumstance of their birth is a modern form of slavery.

    I am speaking rhetorically here, but I don't think that it's an unfair comparison. I do, however, have a boatload of empathy for people who fill the role of breadwinner for the sake of helping others who cannot do the work to support themselves. I don't mean to criticize anyone in this role, only the system that perpetuates it.

  13. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    I've been a Lightning node operator for the past few years so I have a biased perspective. That said, I think the work that's been done is quite impressive. Point-of-Sale systems, ATMs, and NFC...

    I've been a Lightning node operator for the past few years so I have a biased perspective. That said, I think the work that's been done is quite impressive. Point-of-Sale systems, ATMs, and NFC tap cards are some examples that I've seen so far. I'm working on weaving it in to my web development stack but I'm trying to avoid canned solutions, so it's slow going.

    Re: banks - We live under a banking system that has afforded some people to amass enough wealth to pay out of pocket for the labor and materials required to build houses. Instead, those people choose to put that wealth towards corporations like Blackrock and use their money to earn more money. Urban centers have empty office buildings that could be converted into apartments, but low-income housing doesn't make as much money as building a new subdivision of single detached homes so those office buildings are staying empty.

    Now, you said yourself that "we are entirely dependent on money" - i.e. there is no choice but to participate, unless you want to be 1. forcibly evicted from your shelter, 2. sent to jail for being homeless, and then 3. enslaved by a private prison in accordance with the Thirteenth Amendment. In my opinion, the assertion that 'central banks help solve human problems' is like saying 'slavery makes agriculture easier' - it's a system that only works based on involuntary participation of many for the profit of a few.

    2 votes

  14. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    I would mostly like to address your last statement, regarding 'better competitors'. I think that Ethereum (for example) is a mistake. The nature of open-source technology is collaborative, not...

    I would mostly like to address your last statement, regarding 'better competitors'. I think that Ethereum (for example) is a mistake. The nature of open-source technology is collaborative, not competitive - all necessary competition is already baked into the PoW algorithm. Bitcoin has already been extended to address all of its initial shortcomings (e.g. Lightning, which provides instant/anonymous/untraceable sending, eCash for independence from centralized points, and RGB for smart contracts).

    I'm also going to address the other comment for the sake of simplicity here. My point on the origins of banks was that they didn't really solve human problems, contrary to what Eji1700 said. I think that money is a helpful tool, and having a system of money which resolves problems that banks have created or perpetuated is even better.

  15. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    Tether's stability is tied to the US Dollar, and the stability of USD is backed by the United States' military strength. The US Economy has always been driven by war and extraction. Bitcoin's...

    Tether's stability is tied to the US Dollar, and the stability of USD is backed by the United States' military strength. The US Economy has always been driven by war and extraction.

    Bitcoin's stability is tied to the core principles and people's willingness to participate with them. It is voluntary, while participation in the US Economy is essentially mandatory.

  16. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    I don't believe that banks were created to solve human problems. My understanding (informed by Richard Graeber's book "Debt: The First 5000 Years") is that central banks were created to establish...

    I don't believe that banks were created to solve human problems. My understanding (informed by Richard Graeber's book "Debt: The First 5000 Years") is that central banks were created to establish the authority of a political leader over the state's economy and to pay military forces to enforce that authority.

    What is your understanding around why banks were created?

  17. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    Tether is a symptom of people trying to reinstate current banking trends into the crypto space, and I agree that it's basically bound to fail at some point. Basically the entire crypto exchange...

    Tether is a symptom of people trying to reinstate current banking trends into the crypto space, and I agree that it's basically bound to fail at some point. Basically the entire crypto exchange market is garbage. It's predicated on having multiple currencies, which is antithetical to the point of Bitcoin.

    It fails and the exchange rate of Bitcoin plummets for a bit, just the same as it did in 2021. I still have the same amount of Bitcoin on my wallet and the value continues to trend upwards over time. The 'real price' is ultimately up to however much people are willing to spend on running PoW algorithms. Part of me hopes that the market crashes to the point where I can feasibly run a miner on my laptop but I don't know if that's going to happen anytime soon.

  18. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    I also don't want to participate in a dynamic where you believe yourself to have a more 'complete' understanding than me. We are both human beings with unique understandings and viewpoints...

    I also don't want to participate in a dynamic where you believe yourself to have a more 'complete' understanding than me. We are both human beings with unique understandings and viewpoints informed by our life experiences.

    Can we agree to disagree?

    4 votes

  19. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    If you're going to patronize me by implying that my thought process is somehow skewed (i.e. 'walking me through it') instead of participating in a dialogue where you might actually reconsider your...

    If you're going to patronize me by implying that my thought process is somehow skewed (i.e. 'walking me through it') instead of participating in a dialogue where you might actually reconsider your point-of-view, then there's no reason for me to engage with you.

    You are looking to validate your existing belief that you are right and I am wrong.

    2 votes

  20. Comment on Are there any guides that properly explains the crypto space? in ~finance

    zenen
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    What value does Bitcoin offer? It's open-source money, which means it is not controlled by central banks. The value of Bitcoin has gone up over time as more people understand and invest into the...

    What value does Bitcoin offer? It's open-source money, which means it is not controlled by central banks.

    The value of Bitcoin has gone up over time as more people understand and invest into the technology. There are hype cycles which cause local ups and downs, but the trend is decidedly upwards.

    Bitcoin is better than stocks because the latter require you to invest through a central bank. I hold an entire copy of the Bitcoin blockchain, which means I can prove ownership of my coins (and anyone else's) without relying on a third party.

    1 vote