Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Why vampires live forever

machielreyneke.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 193 posts

Re: Why vampires live forever

#171

Post by throwaway173738 »

mrguyorama wrote: post #129
ceejayoz wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Did he really think his square counters would fool said omniscient God? My favorite example of this is the string of fishing line around Manhattan. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/13/721551785/a-fishing-line-enci...

The difference is that it is an explicit belief of most jewish groups that God put these "clever" gimmicks into the rules on purpose, God wants you to look for them and be rewarded for looking for them, and God thinks the way jewish people debate about rules is awesome, and that "clever" workarounds are just the best. Contrast this with my Catholic tradition which insists that if I get cheeky with God I should expect…

If there is a god and we are made in its image, would it be better to be clever or better to be compliant?

Re: Why vampires live forever

#172

Post by margalabargala »

dmonitor wrote: post #152
rbanffy wrote: post #121

As a member of a prominent Transylvanian family, I am appalled, and profoundly offended, by the idea of someone even as much as suspecting Peter Thiel could be a vampire. He might be an evil bloodsucking parasite, but he lacks the sophistication mortals have come to associate with vampires over the centuries. It's shocking, really, that some people might confuse him with one.

Vampires are parasites. They're only as polite as they need to be to extract resources from potential hosts. The facade of sophistication only lasts as long as it needs to

Depends on the canon.

Plenty show vampires being sophisticated among themselves as well.

Highly recommend reading/watching Interview With The Vampire. The recent TV show was excellent.

Re: Why vampires live forever

#173

Post by troad »

givan wrote: post #169

I repeat, just like clocks, people can be of different makes. No matter how hard a man tries, even if he is put in a glass case, when his time comes the spring runs out. And once the mechanism is dead, no matter how clean and whole it is, no matter how much you try to warm it up, blow on it—if the spiral spring is missing—the man is gone. Yet I can do something to live longer. Thoughts have a definite length. I can u…

Isn't that conceptually incoherent?

Premise: Thinking slower makes time appear to pass faster, and thinking faster makes time appear to pass slower. (Per the two paras following "Consider")

Thesis: The secret to living longer is to alter one's perception of time, by thinking slower.

But given the premise, thinking slower would make appear to pass faster. Ergo, it would make life feel shorter, not longer.

In fact, the premise actually supports the exact opposite thesis: that the secret to long life is to think as fast as possible.

Re: Why vampires live forever

#174

Post by lo_zamoyski »

rbanffy wrote: post #121

As a member of a prominent Transylvanian family, I am appalled, and profoundly offended, by the idea of someone even as much as suspecting Peter Thiel could be a vampire. He might be an evil bloodsucking parasite, but he lacks the sophistication mortals have come to associate with vampires over the centuries. It's shocking, really, that some people might confuse him with one.

Which is ironic, given his recent preoccupation with the Antichrist, as the vampire is an antichrist archetype. Christ gives his blood so that others may live; the vampire takes the blood of others so that he may live.

Re: Why vampires live forever

#175

Post by jamilton »

dylan604 wrote: post #63
prometheus76 wrote: post #52

Interesting that the author didn't mention anything about stem cell injections. Those have been in vogue among the elite for decades (millennia?).

How could it be millenia? Have we been able to isolate stem cells that long, or are you suggesting feasting on placenta as suitable?

The joke is presumably ancient vampires doing it in secret to be alive for millennia.

Re: Why vampires live forever

#178

Post by avereveard »

solidasparagus wrote: post #31

> Here’s what’s genuinely interesting. That's my current AI detector smell. > He discontinued the blood exchange after data showed “no benefits.” A suspicious person might note that a vampire would say exactly this after the media got too interested. I don't think it's the media (clearly the younger generations are media friendly), it's probably pressure from the older vamps.

> This is a critical narrative shift.

also this, having done a number of ai conspiracy for funsies, that's always the mid point

however I don't mind ai slop, if it's creative and well thought out (and editorialized, as this seem to be)

Re: Why vampires live forever

#179

Post by vintermann »

rbanffy wrote: post #123
machielrey wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I realize now that I might be in trouble. Thanks everyone

I am deeply offended by someone associating Thiel with vampires. That idea is completely absurd. Vampires are famous for being handsome, interesting, elegant, well educated, and having impeccable taste for fashion. Thiel has none of these traits.

Vampires are famously metaphors for aristocrats. Zombies are metaphors for the "common horde". I wonder if there's a monster metaphor for the "noveau riche", people with all the money and none of the style. Can't think of one.

Re: Why vampires live forever

#180

Post by vintermann »

mrguyorama wrote: post #129
ceejayoz wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Did he really think his square counters would fool said omniscient God? My favorite example of this is the string of fishing line around Manhattan. https://www.npr.org/2019/05/13/721551785/a-fishing-line-enci...

The difference is that it is an explicit belief of most jewish groups that God put these "clever" gimmicks into the rules on purpose, God wants you to look for them and be rewarded for looking for them, and God thinks the way jewish people debate about rules is awesome, and that "clever" workarounds are just the best. Contrast this with my Catholic tradition which insists that if I get cheeky with God I should expect…

Jews: God is totally shit-testing us.

Catholics: No no, God wouldn't shit-test you. But he gave us permission to make the rules, and we may be shit-testing you.

Post reply on HN