Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X' • Hacker News Board

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#61

Post by kalmi10 » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 4:45 AM UTC

CamperBob2 wrote: post #55

tremon wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I urge you to look up that evidence for yourself, it is easily found. There is both empirical evidence, from e.g. rats, and sociological experiments, from rehab centers. Also, I reject your use of "unambiguous". Ambiguity is a given, we're not discussing a mathematical proof here.

The research I've seen suggests that rats and other creatures will give up everything you listed for another hit of the right drug.

I seem to remember a study that attributed this behavior to the captive environment of the subjects (rats), and once the environment was changed, they weaned off on their own. Can't find it right now, but will keep looking.

Edit: sibling post found it, apparently its results couldn't be replicated :/

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#62

Post by Malician » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 7:01 AM UTC

cubano wrote: post #14

NathanKP wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my opinion it's much more likely that sentient beings apathy themselves into extinction. Humans already show a tendency towards addiction to technology that exploits dopamine triggers, as social networks like Facebook do. Now imagine a world in which matrix style neural implants give you all the dopamine fulfillment that you want with no need for any effort. And combine this neural implant replacement for reality…

So in the end, you envision addiction destroying humanity. It's an interesting insight but I can't really see it happening the way you describe. There are already many substances (opiates, crack, meth to name a few), some that have been around for centuries, that give intense dopamine-release rushes. Yet, only a small percentage of people, around 5-10%, seem to have the addictive personality required to completely di…

"There are already many substances (opiates, crack, meth to name a few), some that have been around for centuries, that give intense dopamine-release rushes."

Yeah, but consider something that directly stimulates the brain - the best first hit of heroin anyone has ever experienced, under the best conditions, would be nothing by comparison. We can't even imagine the results of that kind of hit.

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#63

Post by pitchka » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 7:51 AM UTC

Tiquor wrote: post #53

pitchka wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's weird how we seem to understand exponential growth of technology but have a hard time grasping the exponential build-up of excess greenhouse gases due to the exponential growth of human population and economy. I wonder how these thousand years might look if currently there have been temperature difference of extremes by 20 degrees, with average already raised by 2. For example, mass extinction of oceanic ecosyst…

It's even harder to believe that in the face of thousands of years of human progress and overcoming of the doomsday scenario of each decade and century that we still continue to fear tomorow.

Well, it's good that the problem solvers of the world are not as optimistic and wish to solve the problems.

Otherwise we'd all be like "good, in a thousand years everything's going to be ok, 'cos science".

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#64

Post by deepnet » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 9:55 AM UTC

kalmi10 wrote: post #61

CamperBob2 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The research I've seen suggests that rats and other creatures will give up everything you listed for another hit of the right drug.

I seem to remember a study that attributed this behavior to the captive environment of the subjects (rats), and once the environment was changed, they weaned off on their own. Can't find it right now, but will keep looking. Edit: sibling post found it, apparently its results couldn't be replicated :/

Rat park was a replication, it was inspired by disregarded evidence of soldiers returning from war.

Most Soldiers who were using 'addictive' drugs simply gave them up when returning home.

A small but constant percentage didn't ~3-5% - Alexander postulated that these types will become addicted to something and it was genotype & circumstance that led to addictive behaviours not the drugs themselves being chemically addictive.

Bruce Alexander has stated that this evidence led him to try to confirm it with his Rat Park experiment.

He plainly showed it was the inhuman conditions that led rats to kill themselves with drugs, well performed, proper controls.

Flew in the face of the prevailing orthodoxy and the political capital of the drug war boogeyman - so no funding for replication. Career suicide to replicate it back then.

It is pretty obviously true, there is hardly a human activity without an associated -oholicism.

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#65

Post by misja111 » Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 6:32 PM UTC

NathanKP wrote: post #19

cubano wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So in the end, you envision addiction destroying humanity. It's an interesting insight but I can't really see it happening the way you describe. There are already many substances (opiates, crack, meth to name a few), some that have been around for centuries, that give intense dopamine-release rushes. Yet, only a small percentage of people, around 5-10%, seem to have the addictive personality required to completely di…

People who don't get addicted to chemical drugs don't get addicted because they have things in their lives (rewarding work, good relationships/sex, religion and other forms of self actualization) which gives them dopamine triggers that are more enjoyable than the drug. On the other hand people who lack things that give them the natural dopamine trigger tend to get highly addicted to chemicals that trigger the dopamin…

Well written answer but there's a contradiction in what you're saying. You say: "Maybe you still get a feeling of reward from relationships with other people, but more likely the AI is better at relationships than you are, and most people in the world only have relationships with instances of the AI because that is more rewarding."

And your conclusion is that the result of this will be that people will get addicted on drugs rather than seeking relationships with other people. But you just said that most people will have relationships with instances of AI instead. So people will not get addicted on drugs, they will just have amazingly happy relationships with uber social AI instances.

Re: Researcher links mass extinctions to 'Planet X'

#66

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Apr 09, 2016, 7:10 AM UTC

deepnet wrote: post #64

kalmi10 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I seem to remember a study that attributed this behavior to the captive environment of the subjects (rats), and once the environment was changed, they weaned off on their own. Can't find it right now, but will keep looking. Edit: sibling post found it, apparently its results couldn't be replicated :/

Rat park was a replication, it was inspired by disregarded evidence of soldiers returning from war. Most Soldiers who were using 'addictive' drugs simply gave them up when returning home. A small but constant percentage didn't ~3-5% - Alexander postulated that these types will become addicted to something and it was genotype & circumstance that led to addictive behaviours not the drugs themselves being chemically add…

[deleted]