# Aaron Bergman's tweets, August 2024

Every public tweet, reply, quote tweet and retweet that Aaron Bergman (@AaronBergman18 on X, formerly Twitter) posted in August 2024 and has not deleted: 322 posts, oldest first, times in UTC. Each heading links to the original post on X. When Aaron replies to or quotes someone, their tweet appears as a blockquote with their name; those words are theirs, and everything outside the blockquotes is Aaron's.

This page is one month of [the complete archive of Aaron Bergman's tweets](https://abergman.com/tweets), which updates automatically every few hours. Previous month: [July 2024](https://abergman.com/tweets/2024-07). Next month: [September 2024](https://abergman.com/tweets/2024-09).

## Thursday, August 1, 2024

### [Reply to @Rainmaker1973, 01:47 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1818825899090780197) · 2 likes

> **Massimo (@Rainmaker1973):** Never eat undercooked bear meat
>
> \[🎞️ Zack D. Films\]
>
> [video attached](https://x.com/i/status/1818708209168740818/video/1)

Ok I won’t do that

### [Reply to @BLUNDERBUSSTED, 02:07 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1818830814932603322) · 2 likes

> **𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 (@BLUNDERBUSSTED):** @univrsw3th4rt hey

Thanks for saving my puppy from a burning building the other day

### [Thread, continued, 02:07 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1818830876953706541) · 2 likes

Also that 675 deadlift was impressive

### [Reply to @justalexoki, 18:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819082987377692930) · 1 like

> **taoki (@justalexoki):** why are men so much faster, stronger, cuter, bigger, smarter than women? it seems unfair

Wrong about at least one of these

### [Reply, 19:45 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819097023729054047)

Feel this weirdly much, good for you for reaching out

### [Tweet, 19:54 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819099352880554180) · 22 likes

It’s too hot

### [Reply to @justalexoki, 21:02 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819116393704706425) · 4 likes

> **taoki (@justalexoki):** @AaronBergman18 which one

Cuter

### [Reply to @drethelin, 21:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819122662150385744) · 2 likes

> **Misha (@drethelin):** Occasional reminder that Dishwashers use physics, specifically water sprayers, and do not magically clean every object you can cram into their volume

Sad

### [Quote tweet, 23:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819160929646317942) · 6 likes

I see a lot of people dunking on this but not explaining the key issue. Here is my understanding:

I think the idea behind this policy is that corporations might hold real estate and not rent it out, effectively reducing supply
…

> **Quoting Our Revolution (@OurRevolution):** raise your paw if you agree
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT65mZ0WMAAQRxO.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 23:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819160931798294604) · 6 likes

This is basically not true because if there’s one thing corporations are good at, it’s not leaving money on the table

We should not expect higher vacancy rates, although in principle you can imagine crazy high transactions costs that would make this concern legit

### [Thread, continued, 23:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819160935132811540) · 3 likes

On the other hand, corporations are often better placed to do the “work” of being a landlord (eg renovating, taking on risk, maintenance) which yes only justifies like 10% (or something) of rental income but needs to get done my somebody, lest you get

### [Thread, continued, 23:59 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819160937166725388) · 3 likes

lower effective supply (eg because of houses that people want to rent but no one wants to buy and either live in or rent out and maintain)

### [Reply to @BLUNDERBUSSTED, 23:59 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819161026128236818) · 4 likes

> **𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 (@BLUNDERBUSSTED):** i must know her touch i want her to put a saddle on me and spur me forward squeezing my torso between her thighs i must climb her legs like tree trunks i must build a nest there and covet her eggs i must grab those thighs over and over and over again i must know this athena
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT7rvN1XMAAmVpC.png)

Ok

## Friday, August 2, 2024

### [Reply to @tenobrus, 00:02 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819161758713483306) · 1 like

> **Tenobrus (@tenobrus):** we don't always use it, but every man has the god-given talent of getting ready from zero in under 15 minutes regardless of circumstances

Beach recently staying in a hotel room with my older sister, she was amazed at my ability to go from asleep to out the door in 11 mins flat

### [Reply to @goblinodds, 00:02 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819161816636989500) · 3 likes

> **𝖜𝖔𝖒𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 (@goblinodds):** wait why would it have to take anyone longer than this
> put on clothes, brush teeth, pee, what am i missing
> run a brush through hair ???

Based

### [Reply to @frances__lorenz, 00:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819175970005291179) · 2 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @frances__lorenz is no longer available.)_

I was gonna ask lmao

### [Quote tweet, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180100551647406) · 6 likes

The first 6 pages of this book, "Summary of the Framework and Proposals," look like a really good collection of very basic "don't be a terrible species" rules for humanity (concerning humans, AIs, animals, and beings in general)

> **Quoting Jonathan Birch (@birchlse):** 🦀🐝🧠🤖 How should we make decisions when faced with systems of uncertain sentience? My new book The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI is available online for free at https://academic.oup.com/book/57949. Please download it! Just click on PDF to get a PDF of the whole book. Individual chapters are also available as PDFs - just click on whichever chapters you want. The book is completely free to everyone and I'm grateful for all shares and forwards.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GTo06TZXkAAmAJV.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180103038910807) · 2 likes

It would be really good to see this operationalized somehow, even if that looks like voluntary commitment at first.

I'm also sure more could be added, and wording quibbled with. Hopefully people smarter than me can have a discourse about that

### [Thread, continued, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180104628457635) · 2 likes

Here are abbreviated versions of the 26 rules, courtesy of Claude (who I hope had no time or a good time writing them out)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT8GUsyWMAAy7qL.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180106754978266) · 2 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT8GXlLWgAAm8mv.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180108676018406) · 2 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT8GaacXoAAnpsp.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 01:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180110957666563) · 3 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT8Gd1zXsAAocZe.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 01:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819180409726316700) · 3 likes

And here are the first 6 pages in full https://aaronbergman.neocities.org/eos-intro.pdf

### [Reply to @arithmoquine, 01:34 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819185050585325751) · 6 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @arithmoquine is no longer available.)_

I hope they make safe heroin with the behavioral effects of Jhanas (ie minimal hedonic downregulation or temptation to wirehead) bc I’d really like to try

### [Reply to @arithmoquine, 01:35 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819185331003871718) · 3 likes

> **henry (@arithmoquine):** @AaronBergman18 henrycorp is on it

🫡

### [Reply to @arithmoquine, 01:40 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819186449574506749) · 3 likes

> **henry (@arithmoquine):** in full seriousness, I believe (and have believed for a while with varying degrees of clarity) this is the \*most important thing\* I could work on with my life

It’s plausible, idk what @QualiaRI is up to atm. Many of those who get valence pilled get specifically anti-suffering pilled even more (there’s ofc substantial overlap here)

See https://longtermrisk.org for the other side of the valence coin

### [Quote tweet, 15:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819399961651696076) · 9 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT_On41XUAIfL09.jpg)

> **Quoting Rob Wiblin (@robertwiblin):** Driving the New World Screwworm to extinction using 'gene drives' could do more to improve animal welfare than eliminating factory farming globally.
>
> Hard to believe but so argues MIT biologist and inventor of the gene drive, @KEsvelt:
>
> [video attached](https://x.com/robertwiblin/status/1819386306742423745/video/1)

### [Reply to @MatthewBJane, 16:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819405977386467819) · 3 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @MatthewBJane is no longer available.)_

Rstudio still 🐐 imo

### [Reply to @NoahTopper, 16:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819412696481022155) · 2 likes

> **Quinoah 🔍⏸️ (@NoahTopper):**
>
> [GIF attached](https://x.com/NoahTopper/status/1819411169939279901/photo/1)

Yes

### [Reply to @beala, 17:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819421017552384446) · 3 likes

> **Alex Beal 🆎 (@beala):** I've seen enough
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GT_VTMYbYAABIbQ.png)

RIP

### [Reply to @NathanpmYoung, 18:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819434364427460826) · 5 likes

> **Nathan 🔎 (@NathanpmYoung):** Effective Altruism the philosophy is basically right - thinking about scale, a large moral circle and effectiveness of interventions.
>
> But EA as a community isn't always the best place for people to embody this. For some it's LessWrong, Progress Studies, EconTwitter.

All true but I’d change the last sentence. If you’re not basically trying to do what EA purports to be doing, at best you’re going to be right by accident

So most lower-case-ea outside of the EA community probably looks like idiosyncratic partial participation in capital-EA

### [Reply, 18:22 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819438727187353689) · 1 like

I’d guess yes to better but no to “obviously better”

## Saturday, August 3, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 04:04 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819584986145517730) · 3 likes

An absolutely incorrect take (the normie libs are right; orange man bad) but yes we stan the intellectual disagreeableness

> **Quoting Arthur Wrong 🔸 (@arthur_wright_):** People are dunking on this but they should take the policy arguments seriously. IMO, we need more contrarian political takes in EA that aren't just racism.
>
> Ftr, i strongly disagree with the conclusion (Trump is preferable to Kamala), but spare the dunks & talk substance please

### [Quote tweet, 06:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819620879115968742) · 30 likes

I’m going to get minimal hate for this because it’s a moderate position that happens to be correct, but we don’t know whether LLMs are conscious, and it certainly isn’t obvious on either side

> **Quoting loveofdoing (@loveofdoing):** i’m gonna get so much hate for this, but llms are obviously not conscious
>
> got a lottttt of thoughts here; hopefully a midwit thread

### [Thread, continued, 06:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819620880990752960) · 5 likes

To ~quote a tweet I remember reading but don’t feel like digging up, “cracked geniuses have been tearing each other up over this question \[the necessary and sufficient conditions for phenomenal consciousness\] for 2000 years”

### [Reply to @ilex_ulmus, 07:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819633092404908164) · 2 likes

> **Holly ⏸️ Elmore (@ilex_ulmus):** AISM = @AISafetyMemes
>
> (quoting @ilex_ulmus: @idavidrein @RichardMCNgo What has AISM said that is so dumb? I feel so gaslit when people say this. I'm all ready to agree but then I see the thing and it's just... fine? Imo they are better than the average journalist and clearly deeply understand what they are talking about.)

I agree with this FWIW (although I guess I’d replace “gaslit” with “confused”)

### [Reply to @NoahTopper, 07:43 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819640269370769731) · 4 likes

> **Quinoah 🔍⏸️ (@NoahTopper):** @arthur_wright\_ @AaronBergman18 Personally I think you’ve said way dumber shit Aaron ❤️

Me too ❤️

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 13:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819720052028940479) · 8 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 3, 2024:** To ~quote a tweet I remember reading but don’t feel like digging up, “cracked geniuses have been tearing each other up over this question \[the necessary and…

Update: I am getting a medium amount of hate

## Sunday, August 4, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 01:45 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1819912469885673970) · 3 likes

Forget about the content, they should teach this as a good model for how to write when you’re trying to just directly communicate ideas (as opposed to signaling or entertainment)

Analytic philosophy go brr

> **Quoting Jonathan Birch (@birchlse):** 🦀🐝🧠🤖 How should we make decisions when faced with systems of uncertain sentience? My new book The Edge of Sentience: Risk and Precaution in Humans, Other Animals, and AI is available online for free at https://academic.oup.com/book/57949. Please download it! Just click on PDF to get a PDF of the whole book. Individual chapters are also available as PDFs - just click on whichever chapters you want. The book is completely free to everyone and I'm grateful for all shares and forwards.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GTo06TZXkAAmAJV.jpg)

### [Quote tweet, 12:30 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820074721381085658) · 4 likes

No I like a really fucked up spreadsheet

“He just like me fr but I can fix him”

> **Quoting Kat Spartz ⏸️ 🔶 (@KatSpartz):** You all know about sapiosexuality (being attracted to intelligence), but did you know about consciosexuals?
>
> It's people who are attracted to conscientiousness.
>
> Do you ever salivate at a really well done spreadsheet?
>
> Or purr with desire when you see a well organized cupboard?
>
> Do you ever want to pounce on your partner when they carry a backup something in their bag and it gets you out of a jam?
>
> If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be a consciosexual.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUHc73nbAAAsZmb.png)

### [Reply to @jt_kerwin, 13:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820094814160851379) · 7 likes

> **Jason Kerwin (@jt_kerwin):** I’d like to see at least one (1) qualitative paper that successfully does causal inference with a prespecified analysis plan before I take this seriously

Pre-registration of qualitative analysis seems way harder. There are like a gazillion degrees of freedom instead of 19

### [Tweet, 14:18 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820101927272689934) · 11 likes

Didn’t really appreciate trinkets until recently

Family house is filled with random trinkets

I only have 4 trinkets, and 3 of them are fake plants from Target

### [Thread, continued, 14:20 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820102621216100730) · 5 likes

A weirdly large number of them are ducks, suggesting a genetic predisposition to think ducks are kinda whimsical and fun

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUJNr5jWAAAaFsY.jpg)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUJNr5kXgAAioX0.jpg)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUJNr5kW4AAt26J.jpg)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUJNr5hWEAAlExC.jpg)

## Monday, August 5, 2024

### [Tweet, 17:33 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820513521966489736) · 130 likes

She’s a 10 but she doesn’t think sentience is of fundamental ethical importance

### [Reply, 18:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820520980219150692) · 8 likes

> **vals🔸 (@ValsTutor):** Probably an 11. You don't easily get to know those words without having an interesting reason, and she's probably right. A universe featuring intelligent agents without sentience would still have great use for ethics and be talking about it etc, so sentience is  not fundamental.

I respect the boldness but nah I think this is totally wrong and no sentience -> nihilism (although moral uncertainty means that I wouldn’t act like this was true)

### [Reply, 18:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820524350338183311) · 4 likes

> **vals🔸 (@ValsTutor):** @AaronBergman18 You're assuming the particular ethical stance you have is absolutely true to argue sentience is a fundamental part of ethics, but you know others disagree and don't use sentience in their ethics.
> Your statement is less interesting because it's true by (your) definition.

I don’t think this is right. It’s not definitionally true that sentience is ethically important, at least given what I intend those words to mean

### [Tweet, 18:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820525551616155817) · 8 likes

I’m down like 2.5% idk not that bad

### [Reply, 18:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820525615558303753) · 2 likes

> **vals🔸 (@ValsTutor):** @AaronBergman18 Well I won't ask you to write a dissertation to justify a funny tweet so I'll agree we have an unresolved understanding of each other's position rn then.

Tragic

### [Tweet, 19:53 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820548782607724993) · 6 likes

Twitter search is genuinely terrible lol. I think I could do it better with R code. They’re clearly optimizing for saving $.07/user-year on compute instead of returning search results

### [Reply, 20:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820551250426876143) · 2 likes

> **Ra (@slimepriestess):** of course i know her, she's me
>
> (quoting @AaronBergman18: She’s a 10 but she doesn’t think sentience is of fundamental ethical importance)

Inshallah u will see the light (2 books) 🙏

1\) https://www.amazon.com/Feeling-Value-Grounded-Phenomenal-Consciousness/dp/1534768017?dplnkId=38d5a5f5-7010-48a3-ae66-bc275e1561c6&nodl=1#immersive-view_1722888184718

### [Thread, continued, 20:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820551301626843522) · 2 likes

2\)

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 20:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820551708763664873) · 3 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 5, 2024:** Twitter search is genuinely terrible lol. I think I could do it better with R code. They’re clearly optimizing for saving $.07/user-year on compute instead of…

Just occurred to me this could be intentional to prevent its use as an API workaround, since the API now costs the Saudi royal family’s wealth per millisecond

### [Reply, 20:59 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820565260002349104) · 2 likes

> **Ra (@slimepriestess):** how i learned to stop worrying and love the blindminds
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUPwn1YbkAAyv0m.jpg)

I wish we could bet on ethical theories bc I’d want to

### [Reply, 21:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820566887597854729) · 3 likes

> **Ra (@slimepriestess):** @AaronBergman18 to manifold?

The only good resolution criteria I can think of is “one of us changes our mind” which by default won’t resolve

### [Reply, 21:34 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820574028274229670) · 2 likes

> **Erin Braid (@erinbraid):** @AaronBergman18 Well, tbf his position is more like "statements about sentience are meaningless because we can't define it well." Mine is "there's no rule that the morally important things will be things we already have a good understanding of!"

I have a book (really just the first 2 chapters) for him Btw this book is a banger

### [Quote tweet, 21:52 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820578677161365736) · 8 likes

Moral uncertainty sounds kinda esoteric but it seems incredibly important in the context of AI…

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** I’m going to get minimal hate for this because it’s a moderate position that happens to be correct, but we don’t know whether LLMs are conscious, and it certainly isn’t obvious on either side

### [Thread, continued, 21:52 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820578679916740825) · 7 likes

I think suffering-leaning hedonic utilitarianism is true, but more important than arguing this object level is arguing that this theory (and others) should be given serious probabilistic weight in the unenviable project of not accidentally committing the worst atrocity in history

### [Tweet, 22:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820585892337369350) · 21 likes

Pretty sure I’d be a NIMBY if not provided the basic case for it being bad. I wouldn’t have gotten there from first principles and leafy single family suburbs are pretty nice, aesthetically

### [Thread, continued, 22:22 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820586303261495399) · 12 likes

Extremely online NIMBYs are probably a lost cause but I feel like a Netflix documentary could make >0% of naive well intentioned boomers reconsider

### [Reply, 22:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820587147176366500) · 2 likes

> **Hineini 🔎 (@danseaumilieu):** @AaronBergman18 I see, so then I’d be curious what account you’d give about how you came to have this knowledge that causing suffering is objectively bad. Like, how did you come into contact with this fact?

Oh man I feel like I’ve had this discussion 100 times lol. Tbc I don’t think this is infallible, but I do think me being wrong would imply that I (and probably everyone) is radically mistaken about their own subjective experience (which seems possible but unlikely)

### [Thread, continued, 22:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820587564086030635) · 4 likes

I also think the word “objectively” throws people off. It’s not written into the stars somehow in a spooky ethereal way. It’s just that conscious beings which are the units in which value exists are just a constituent part of the universe/world

### [Quote tweet, 23:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820599501553615266) · 15 likes

In a very neutral honestly-not-dunking way I find it wild how smart professional middle aged professional people simply refuse to google/chatgpt/youtube “how to do X” when it comes to anything involving computers

Neuroplasticity/lack thereof must be a hell of a drug

> **Quoting derek guy (@dieworkwear):** technology is too confusing. anything that came out after 2008 is simply not my business

### [Quote tweet, 23:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820607348194299992) · 3 likes

Might help some of you get on the correct opinions train (moral value realism)

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** @danseaumilieu I also think the word “objectively” throws people off. It’s not written into the stars somehow in a spooky ethereal way. It’s just that conscious beings which are the units in which value exists are just a constituent part of the universe/world

## Tuesday, August 6, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 00:54 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820624409834426725) · 10 likes

Can someone tell me how legit the receipt thing is

> **Quoting Someone:**

### [Reply to @peterwildeford, 00:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820625417952190820) · 3 likes

> **Peter Wildeford🇺🇸🚀 (@peterwildeford):** What a wild story
>
> (quoting @Domahhhh: The Venezuelan Election, and Prediction Markets as Truth (very long post -- SICKOS ONLY) Starting with a little history -- the first big prediction market controversy (and it even made the news) was about a North Korean missile launch in 2006. North Korea launched a missile,…)

Competence porn by the opposition volunteers

### [Reply to @NathanpmYoung, 01:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820625946342310312) · 2 likes

> **Nathan 🔎 (@NathanpmYoung):** Cos they wanted Altman gone and everyone else leaving OpenAI makes it more likely that either OpenAI will collapse or Altman will go.

I was thinking you meant because high profile people leaving seems like evidence of them effectively pursuing the nonprofit charter - empowering Anthropic relative to OpenAI seems good under OpenAI’s own charter even if Sama stays and OpenAI persists

### [Reply to @flybottlemist, 01:02 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820626406939758595) · 5 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @flybottlemist is no longer available.)_

😢

### [Reply to @hamandcheese, 05:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820686461252886531) · 4 likes

> **Samuel Hammond 🦉 (@hamandcheese):** I can still remember being terrified about going to jail over one wrong limewire download
>
> (quoting @AndrewCurran_: According to this report from 404 Media NVIDIA are currently training a video frontier model named 'Cosmos' (multiple projects with the same name) that 'encapsulates simulation of light transport, physics, and intelligence in one place to unlock various downstream applications'.)

NVIDIA making the machine god 🤝 me

Using yt-dlp

### [Quote tweet, 05:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820687037030142177) · 3 likes

Aside from all the important stuff, if YouTube vs python libraries becomes a serious cat and mouse gam with big companies on both sides, the technical fixes and workarounds are gonna nerd snipe me dead

> **Quoting Andrew Curran (@AndrewCurran_):** According to this report from 404 Media NVIDIA are currently training a video frontier model named 'Cosmos' (multiple projects with the same name) that 'encapsulates simulation of light transport, physics, and intelligence in one place to unlock various downstream applications'.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUPan5GXcAAsln5.jpg)

## Wednesday, August 7, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 01:09 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820990638357442678) · 2 likes

Musk cofounded http://X.com in 1999??

> **Quoting pıʌɐpↂ (@sinusoidal):** @DeepDishEnjoyer I think anyone who votes for Trump just isn't aware of this. You really don't even have to look at anything Elon Musk has done in basically his adult life to really get to the conclusion he is a better businessman.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUUaBTtXAAAug7X.png)

### [Reply to @JgaltTweets, 01:14 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820991878499897612) · 2 likes

> **JgaltTweets (@JgaltTweets):** Are you not familiar with the lore?
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUV2V95WwAAm6_u.jpg)

I’m familiar with PayPal, not OG X

### [Reply to @jessesingal, 01:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1820993096982704559) · 3 likes

> **Jesse Singal (@jessesingal):** This is too subtle for me I don't get it
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUUlF-wXEAAPGhM.png)

I feel bad for AEI here. Guilt by association

### [Reply to @polisisti, 02:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821007392789705028) · 2 likes

> **Alessandro (@polisisti):** @JgaltTweets @AaronBergman18 Every time I'm reminded of the Canadian angle here, it throws me for a loop
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUV_mRLXUAA6Qx4.jpg)

Canada mentioned 🇨🇦🏒🌲🦫🍁🛶🏔️🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🦫🇨🇦🏔️🏒🛶🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🦫🏒🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦🏒🦫🛶🏔️🌲🍁🇨🇦

### [Reply to @NathanpmYoung, 02:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821011227033616651) · 2 likes

> **Nathan 🔎 (@NathanpmYoung):** "We don't know how LLMs work"
>
> While talking to @robinhanson he pointed out that we don't know how many things work - many drugs, materials and social technologies are somewhat mysterious or were at the time of their early use.
>
> Seems like a good point.

Yeah but either (1) they’re Lindy or (2) it would be bad if they too were gonna become load bearing parts of every part of life and the economy

### [Quote tweet, 03:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821019348066087222) · 2 likes

If u have notes on me I would love to see them

> **Quoting 𝖜𝖔𝖒𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 (@goblinodds):** fuck it i am taking notes on people
>
> maybe in like a year we can play a fun little game where i will show ppl some of my notes on them if they ask

### [Thread, continued, 03:04 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821019432124022974) · 2 likes

### [Reply to @waitbutwhy, 04:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821040558472671487) · 8 likes

> **Tim Urban (@waitbutwhy):** Talking to my friends, who are widely spread out on the political spectrum, I see four general camps re: the election. I wish I could have six poll options to include "not American" and "American but not voting" but there are only four, so answer what approximates you best:
>
> 1\) Pumped about Trump (also voted Trump in 2020)
>
> 2\) Can't believe I'm voting for Trump
>
> 3\) I get the reasoning of Group 2 and sad Kamala is the option, but sorry, not voting for Trump
>
> 4\) What the hell is wrong with these people, I'm obviously voting for Kamala!

Wtf are these results

### [Reply to @GarettJones, 04:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821042983187218550) · 3 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @GarettJones is no longer available.)_

FWIW I’d call myself a s longtermist  and strongly disagree with this take

### [Reply to @ahmedallibhoy, 08:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821103581874753945) · 5 likes

> **Ahmed (@ahmedallibhoy):** Interestingly, this not a flawed proof that only yields the correct result by coincidence. It turns out the method can be rigorously justified and generalized to other ODEs.
>
> I'll discuss how and also some interesting applications of this approach in systems and control theory.
>
> (quoting @angeris: today's fun math fact)

!!

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUXcDeAWIAAY-Yn.jpg)

### [Tweet, 18:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821245696286023773) · 25 likes

Recently asked for my most important beliefs, so (maybe sorta kinda in order but not 100%?) here they are:

1\) what total utilitarianism implies and doesn’t imply, especially wrt to asymmetry of suffering

https://www.aaronbergman.net/p/my-case-for-suffering-leaning-ethics

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUZdTv2X0AAeset.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 18:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821245698441912587) · 8 likes

2\) massive funding misallocation in EA, mostly by OpenPhil (both animal welfare and AI safety underfunded; global dev overfunded)

3\) lack of ambitious earning to give among EAs post-FTX

### [Thread, continued, 18:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821245700136694264) · 7 likes

4\) AI sentience is a moral shitshow

### [Thread, continued, 18:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821245702565195910) · 7 likes

5\) (tentative) Eliminating the New World screwworm is a top priority (overall, not merely within animal welfare)

6\) (very tentative) @leopoldasch is basically right about the need for liberal democracies to have a dominant AI lead

### [Reply to @ohabryka, 18:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821255627785547945) · 2 likes

> **Oliver Habryka (@ohabryka):** Bryan is obviously right here, and the community note obviously wrong. Makes me sad about the community notes algorithm.
>
> Vaccination rate for tetanus is <80%, and it's non-contagious, so yes, 2 deaths implies even if no one was vaccinated, we would see at most 10 deaths.
>
> (quoting @bryan_caplan: My doctor talked to me like a child when I refused a tetanus booster. This disease kills about 2 Americans per YEAR! https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt16-tetanus.html)

Community note no longer there, at least for me

### [Tweet, 19:08 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821262179133427731) · 3 likes

Let it be known that if you prepare a script to read and a phone number to call in support of something I think is important, I will probably groan but then actually do it

### [Thread, continued, 19:08 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821262182631240169) · 2 likes

Tbc I don’t live in CA so I’m not gonna do the above lol, but this one did work on me https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/qgbLr6es2jCwwcGuH/best-use-of-2-minutes-this-month-u-s

### [Tweet, 20:09 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821277425504047251) · 444 likes

Madly in love autistic couple who become totally neurotypical in each other’s presence because of the oxytocin

### [Reply to @absurdlymax, 20:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821279201598828638) · 2 likes

> **Max Alexander (@absurdlymax):** @frances\_\_lorenz @AaronBergman18 (positive)

Lol

### [Reply to @BootsPlatypus, 20:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821279327880933592) · 19 likes

> **Platypussy in Bio (@BootsPlatypus):** @AaronBergman18 Did you find a girlfriend? 😍

Not yet lol

## Thursday, August 8, 2024

### [Reply to @livgorton, 00:24 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821341609016930550) · 2 likes

> **Liv (@livgorton):** he can fix me fr? 👀🥺

🥺

### [Reply to @tenobrus, 00:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821342232219095548) · 2 likes

> **Tenobrus (@tenobrus):** i'm always vaguely suspicious of depression because while ofc it's a very real thing i've personally experienced, on the other hand the cure for my four years of clinical depression was legit getting a new job, moving, and breaking up. like are u sure ur life isnt just \*wrong\*?

I’m the opposite case - I’m virtually certain that the ~cure for me was totally biochemical

### [Reply to @ChanaMessinger, 04:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821401740979151254) · 4 likes

> **Chana (@ChanaMessinger):** What are people doing to run their own spaces these days?
>
> Facebook groups don't seem great, there are some really good ones but lots of people I care about don't use Facebook.
>
> Slack is for work
>
> I hate discord

WhatsApp

### [Reply to @PradyuPrasad, 13:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821541815402573973) · 2 likes

> **Pradyumna 🇸🇬 (@PradyuPrasad):** do you just miss aaron swartz

Yes

### [Reply to @uhbif19, 14:29 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821554264847573407) · 10 likes

> **There is no other room (теперь в 🇮🇱 ) (@uhbif19):** @AaronBergman18 Is this some known phenomenon?

It’s a hypothesis that oxytocin is related to autism yeah, and in the direction such that more = fewer symptoms

Idk more about the mechanisms

### [Reply, 16:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821589309264470142) · 2 likes

🙏

### [Tweet, 16:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821589578836594914) · 3 likes

Nooooooooo @awscloud plz give me more free audio nooooooo

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUeWEUzXcAAEfXU.jpg)

### [Reply to @focusfronting, 16:50 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821589932995195306) · 26 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @focusfronting is no longer available.)_

The answer given is probably “no”

The correct answer is “basically yeah if they have state of the art ML systems and hook u up to the right cables”

### [Reply to @prerat, 16:51 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821590049437446609) · 1 like

> **prerat (@prerat):** is raising your voice ok?
> is interrupting ok?

Want the “Jewish” cross-section

### [Tweet, 17:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821597007435223403) · 18 likes

Banks really be charging you an overdraft fee and then 4 seconds later tell you you’ve been approved for their Ultra-Platinum Elite Signature Plus Deluxe Credit Card

### [Reply to @birchlse, 19:09 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821624846024917456) · 7 likes

> **Jonathan Birch (@birchlse):** As an open access book, The Edge of Sentience can be distributed for free in any format - and I'm very grateful to @AaronBergman18 for making a completely free audiobook version using text-to-speech software: https://open.spotify.com/show/7x1NPYRn55K3nZz855tB29

Also

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-edge-of-sentience-by-jonathan-birch/id1761877270

RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f9b6b454/podcast/rss

### [Reply to @timfduffy, 20:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821651826548027767) · 2 likes

> **Tim Duffy (@timfduffy):** @AaronBergman18 @birchlse Dude Aaron this is so awesome, lack of audio version is the only reason I didn't read it already

Lol same

## Friday, August 9, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 15:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821933913352118576) · 25 likes

Bro it’s a tree stump violence is OK

> **Quoting Massimo (@Rainmaker1973):** A non violent way to get rid of a tree stump.
> https://x.com/i/status/1821618009149944201/video/1

### [Reply to @AndyMasley, 16:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821943952666243206) · 3 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @AndyMasley is no longer available.)_

Lol at me being the one yes vote (although it’s kinda 50/50 for me, depending on the nature of the disagreement and how well-intentioned I think the other person is)

### [Reply to @RandomSprint, 16:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821944910485856630) · 3 likes

> **RandomSprint🧭 (@RandomSprint):** Monitored alarms are a good start. I have imbued the wildlife with the watchful spirits of my ancestors. My forefathers stand guard because they are proud of me. Can you say the same, thief?
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUgMmDZXAAAoWt9.jpg)

@SpacedOutMatt howie will show no mercy if an intruder enters

### [Reply to @RokoMijic, 16:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821949271370805315) · 2 likes

> **Roko 🐉 (@RokoMijic):** Neon-Christian universalism is a universal axiological solvent that can and perhaps will destroy everything we care about

Idk about you but I care about the wellbeing of sentient beings and not much else

### [Reply to @goblinodds, 17:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821958974209433618) · 5 likes

> **𝖜𝖔𝖒𝖇𝖑𝖊 𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖆 𝖈𝖆𝖚𝖘𝖊 (@goblinodds):** accidentally used top coat as a base coat pray 4 me
>
> (real ones won't know if im talking abt nail polish or minipainting)

Until the second line I assumed you were talking about clothing items

### [Reply to @RichardMCNgo, 17:29 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821961968808554713) · 2 likes

> **Richard Ngo (@RichardMCNgo):** I’ve never seen any good argument about where a bayesian’s priors should come from, in principle.
>
> Here’s one kinda wacky idea: you should pick them for cooperative/competitive reasons.
>
> I.e. choose priors which make you predictable to allies and/or unpredictable to enemies.

I will defend this

### [Quote tweet, 17:32 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821962649527300405) · 4 likes

Old take but it seems pretty obviously right to me and I’m confused why people keep debating this

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** Relatedly: the one defensible true Bayesian prior? The one you actually think. Yes, you have an implicit best guess probability
>
> However it got into your brain, that’s where you’re starting from

### [Reply to @ohwizenedtortle, 18:35 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1821978503958413484) · 1 like

> **oh dandy lion🔸 (@ohwizenedtortle):** @AaronBergman18 And yet when I drilled a hole in people and set them on fire I'm "sociopathic" and "sentenced to eight years in prison with five years without parole" smdh

Fuckin EAs

## Saturday, August 10, 2024

### [Tweet, 16:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822311499123028438) · 4 likes

It’s a shame that I’m not a published endocrinology case study 😔

### [Reply, 16:43 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822312740016280004) · 1 like

No😡

### [Tweet, 20:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822366629898158117) · 20 likes

I keep interacting with coldcels who insist that financial cost is the reason we can’t set a shared AC any lower

Under pretty generous assumptions including carbon offsets, Claude estimates keeping 1k sq ft it 8° F cooler on a hot day would cost about $5.50/day

### [Thread, continued, 20:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822366631655338250) · 4 likes

Tbc preferences are legitimate and maybe you don’t wanna spend this money, all legitimate. But FYI

Assumptions:
\- 95° high
\- 1000 sq ft space
\- running a small space heater on high 24/7
\- keeping AC set to 62 instead of 70
\- carbon offsets for all this

## Sunday, August 11, 2024

### [Reply to @JesseTayRiver, 01:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822447428651372658) · 2 likes

> **Jesse Smith (@JesseTayRiver):** Not entirely. There's a practical limit where the indoor coil will fall below a temp at which condensing water vapor will freeze. Also in ducted systems there may be temps at which vapor will condense on uninsulated ducts

skill issue

### [Reply, 01:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822447657341645058) · 1 like

fr though you're right mine freezes at around 60, but the current detente/demilitarized zone is 66 which I'm pretty sure actually means like 68

### [Quote tweet, 03:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822471137214754884) · 12 likes

1\) Twitter
2\) Twitter
3\) Twitter

If you add in college, only one of those gets replaced lol

> **Quoting oh dandy lion🔸 (@ohwizenedtortle):** After college, state how you met three of your stronger platonic connections
>
> 1\. Twitter
> 2 & 3. Effective altruism

### [Quote tweet, 03:32 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822476280375263465) · 7 likes

This is in large part why I think Twitter is unironically great

The good parts do manifest irl, the bad ones don’t (IME)

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** 1\) Twitter
> 2\) Twitter
> 3\) Twitter
>
> If you add in college, only one of those gets replaced lol

### [Quote tweet, 08:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822548504926880146) · 12 likes

Man the FDA is really bad

> **Quoting Lucy Farnik (@lucyfarnik):** Yesterday, the FDA rejected MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD treatment. This came as a surprise to tons of people since the phase 3 trials showed \*really\* promising results. And a lot of people are pretty angry at the FDA right now.
>
> So why did the FDA reject it? A 🧵

### [Tweet, 15:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822649419910561951) · 5 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUtZ_EcWEAATlJR.jpg)

### [Reply to @peterwildeford, 15:44 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822660272718262380) · 3 likes

> **Peter Wildeford🇺🇸🚀 (@peterwildeford):** Americans will measure with anything but the metric system
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUtikKhXMAABNIb.jpg)

Gotta be alligator

## Monday, August 12, 2024

### [Reply to @gptbrooke, 00:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822799221231108450) · 2 likes

> **brooke bowman (@gptbrooke):** “It’s better to be cute around smart people than smart around cute people”
>
> \-my friend on sf vs la

😢

### [Tweet, 04:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822854876130365700) · 11 likes

Looks like there's a YC startup trying to automate humane\* wild fish slaughter?

\* Humane according to me, if in fact what they're doing is ikejime or something like it, and according to this article. The firm quite sensibly doesn't mention fish welfare
https://techcrunch.com/2022/07/28/shinkei-systems-ai-guided-fish-harvesting-is-more-humane-and-less-wasteful/

### [Thread, continued, 04:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822854877350944779) · 2 likes

Wild fish slaughter is absolutely horrific

### [Tweet, 04:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822854879058010240) · 1 like

Some links

https://www.shinkei.systems/

https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/shinkei-systems

### [Thread, continued, 04:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822855181916160326) · 4 likes

Let it be known that I would buy ikejime-killed wild fish

Capitalism, do ur thing

### [Reply to @ruth_hook_, 07:35 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822899683494084633) · 5 likes

> **Ruth Hook (@ruth_hook_):** has there ever been a problem in science where the solution hasn't been "it's far more nuanced, complex, & context dependent than we thought"
>
> just once it would be nice for overwhelming complexity to suddenly simplify itself with additional understanding from a new discovery

Natural and sexual selection explaining ~100% of life on earth is kinda insane

Claude added heliocentrism, plate tectonics, and the fundamental attribution error

### [Tweet, 08:22 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1822911418951184699) · 4 likes

If we have 0 mutuals and you’re somehow seeing this, comment bc I’ll almost certainly be curious enough to follow you

### [Reply to @StefanFSchubert, 18:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823071652915347729) · 8 likes

> **Stefan Schubert (@StefanFSchubert):** Thanks to @AaronBergman18 we now have free audiobook versions of our (@LuciusCaviola and me) book:
>
> https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/effective-altruism-and-the-human-mind-stefan/id1762342287
>
> https://open.spotify.com/show/7kSJ4aCd2dCqMsAOi2Liaz
>
> https://anchor.fm/s/f9d34984/podcast/rss
>
> Thanks, Aaron! 🥰
>
> (See the quote-tweet of a quote-tweet for a 13-tweet summary of the book)
>
> (quoting @StefanFSchubert: We just received the physical copies of our book, Effective Altruism and the Human Mind. If you buy it at http://global.oup.com/academic, use the code AUFLY30 to save 30%. The electronic version is available for free at: https://academic.oup.com/book/56384?login=false)

You’re welcome, looking forward to listening myself!

### [Reply to @sgodofsk, 21:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823116273116447038) · 4 likes

> **Steven Godofsky (@sgodofsk):** it's a real shame 16 year olds bagging groceries can't afford a 2 bedroom apartment
>
> (quoting @SenSanders: There is not a single state in America where you can afford a two-bedroom apartment while earning the minimum wage. Something is wrong with this picture. No more excuses. Tax billionaires, raise the minimum wage, build more affordable housing.)

This but unironically - it’s not inevitable!

### [Reply to @PtakTestKitchen, 21:57 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823116516633518455) · 3 likes

> **TV’S ALEX PTAK (@PtakTestKitchen):** Thank you, AccuWeather app
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUznGcCXEAAP39j.jpg)

I mean surely sometimes it is lol

### [Reply to @KelseyTuoc, 22:14 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823120808333750482) · 7 likes

> **Kelsey Piper (@KelseyTuoc):** I sat there in my tiny illegal bedroom reading person after person insist that any building code that allowed it amounted to a declaration that the poor deserved to suffer and that we should bring back slums. It was a perfectly fine room. I still think it should be legal.

Current br is 75 square feet and perfectly fine

## Tuesday, August 13, 2024

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 03:30 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823200328436814275) · 4 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** I don’t even know what starter pack I got for my birthday, but I think it’s a good one
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GU1OwtQW4AAXL5u.jpg)

U shouldn’t sacrifice time reading 240 character takes for books like these though

### [Quote tweet, 04:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823207950514610410) · 20 likes

Kinda the opposite

Idc that much about model tweaks, I just think it’s fuckin nuts that there’s a little guy in the computer now who talks back

> **Quoting Harrison Kinsley (@Sentdex):** IDK when it happened, but my interest in ChatGPT is too low to measure.
>
> I see maybe there's a new variant of gpt4o that's out or has been out, but like... I couldn't care less.
>
> Honestly not trying to flame OAI (this time). It's just interesting how the spark is gone.

### [Reply to @QualyThe, 13:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823348106198409545) · 2 likes

> **Qualy the lightbulb (@QualyThe):** @AaronBergman18 we had a tool for that it's called twitter

Qualy ur alive

### [Quote tweet, 13:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823351617623601591) · 37 likes

Whoever the tickets are for bc that’s how tickets work

> **Quoting arda★ (@CCHIHIR0):** you have 3 tickets, who are you seeing?
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUzATKCWgAAJ0r0.jpg)

### [Quote tweet, 21:36 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823473604731781512) · 21 likes

I don’t get the animosity toward self-help, even allegedly ~basic~ or vacuous examples

They increase the salience of a set of memes or ideas for a while, which is non-trivial to do even if you had access to them before in the abstract

> **Quoting taoki (@justalexoki):** how many self help books does it take for you to realize you're just wasting your time

## Wednesday, August 14, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 01:20 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823530189499814031) · 5 likes

GLP-1 agonists cause Scott Alexander

> **Quoting Dr. Dad, PhD 🔄🔼◀️🔽▶️ (@GarrettPetersen):** Scott Alexander discusses why Ozempic cures everything. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/why-does-ozempic-cure-all-diseases?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=89120&post_id=147025858&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=3l29m&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

### [Quote tweet, 01:28 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823532069990862905) · 7 likes

Wait why don’t fast food burger places offer a baked potato?

Do they?

> **Quoting tautologer (@tautologer):** i like In-N-Out fries now
>
> they are closer to the original divine form, the potato

### [Reply to @codetaur, 01:41 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823535355468865691) · 2 likes

> **Codetaur (@codetaur):** @AaronBergman18 wendy has baked potatoes

This is actually useful info thx

### [Quote tweet, 01:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823535623493362148) · 3 likes

Not me

> **Quoting RandomSprint🧭 (@RandomSprint):** Never meet your podcast heroes. You'll find out that they only talk at 1x.

### [Reply to @QualyThe, 02:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823544540696895577) · 13 likes

> **Qualy the lightbulb (@QualyThe):** @robinhanson Same energy
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GU2NBzeXYAAJKhZ.jpg)

Idk why everyone hates on this, it’s a valid argument

### [Reply to @HannahPosted, 02:20 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823545300520140935) · 7 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @HannahPosted is no longer available.)_

There’s a gazillion studies saying that low FODMAP diets reduce IBS symptoms which is pretty close to a synonym for “tummy troubles”

Apple sauce and bananas aren’t generally considered to be low fodmap (other fruits are though, especially strawberries)

### [Reply to @JarettSays, 17:30 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823774121047527701) · 3 likes

> **Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays):** I would watch a feature length documentary about the two women who voice The Minions in Italian
>
> [video attached](https://x.com/JarettSays/status/1823740222418641280/video/1)

The little laugh at the end 🥺

## Thursday, August 15, 2024

### [Tweet, 00:51 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823885127497261515) · 83 likes

Jury duty seems like the ~only way in which most people have a realistic chance of interacting with a genuinely random sample of society

Kinda interested in having jury duty now out of curiosity (I hadn’t explicitly thought about this before)

### [Reply to @confusionm8trix, 01:06 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823888961770512895) · 5 likes

> **machine yearning engineer (@confusionm8trix):** community college felt pretty close, though there are a couple of obvious demographics you’re gonna miss out on

Much better than my college experience to be sure, but still probably directionally the same, no?

(Still could be that all things considered this is better than jury duty bc it allows for much more engagement. Actually I think this is the case)

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 01:14 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823890978022764827) · 3 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** This man hasn’t been to the state fair

[![Dimples Romana Guilty GIF](https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video_thumb/GU_DLPhWcAAejyB.jpg)](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823890978022764827/photo/1) (gif, plays on X)

### [Reply to @ArgonGruber, 03:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1823927514797834327) · 4 likes

> **argon (@ArgonGruber):** @AaronBergman18 Do you think juries are random? Surely not.

No but closer to it than like anything else

### [Tweet, 13:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824077837218787424) · 7 likes

If it’s going to be hot, it should NOT also be dark at 8:30 pm

Unserious season

### [Reply to @VitalikButerin, 17:08 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824130971320586504) · 5 likes

> **vitalik.eth (@VitalikButerin):** Charity donation done, covering all animal coins from the past year or so!
>
> That said, I appreciate it if coin holdings just get allocated to the charities directly😊
>
> It's 2024, we can start doing more sophisticated public goods fun-ding, eg. see https://vitalik.eth.limo/general/2024/03/29/memecoins.html
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVBETcMW8AAL06l.png)

Based, thank you!

### [Reply to @TylerAlterman, 18:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824148179207746001) · 3 likes

> **Tyler is finishing a book, slow to reply (@TylerAlterman):** Has anyone else tried oxytocin nasal spray?
>
> (quoting @_space_punk_: Got oxytocin nasal spray after @nickcammarata mentioned it's existence. Several people asked me to report back. All I can say is wow)

Yes, didn’t do anything for me

### [Reply to @jeffrsebo, 19:34 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824167704514924687) · 5 likes

> **Jeff Sebo (@jeffrsebo):** If true, this reflects badly on the Harris-Walz ticket. Clearly we should ban all meat, since banning only red meat would reduce cow and pig farming while increasing chicken and fish farming, which are worse for animal welfare and at least as bad, if not worse, for public health.
>
> (quoting @HowardMortman: "She wants to take away your gas stove. She even wants to take away your ability to eat red meat. That's how out there she is. That's real." -- JD Vance 8/3/2024)

“If true” is a big qualifier in this context lol

### [Reply, 19:44 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824170274608324850) · 1 like

Many such cases

### [Reply, 19:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824173934742229480) · 1 like

👀

### [Reply to @krishnanrohit, 22:59 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824219322920865869) · 3 likes

> **rohit (@krishnanrohit):** Sometimes I look at the moon and can't help but wonder how insane it is that we literally have a giant ball of rock just hanging out in the sky
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GU_JRDsa4AMQMbL.jpg)

This is how I feel about airplanes

## Friday, August 16, 2024

### [Reply, 07:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824340559223304626) · 2 likes

It’s a true proposition

### [Quote tweet, 14:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824458117570048049) · 21 likes

My first B was from refusing to lie about my trumpet practice time out of principle (it was not uncommon, shall we say)

Kantian superhero ik ik

> **Quoting bonky (@shesbonky):** my 10 year old son is about to start trombone lessons this year at school.
>
> his band teacher's intro email has me howling!
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVDVoRaXAAA0esH.jpg)

### [Reply to @adam__isom, 15:34 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824469705848951160) · 2 likes

> **adam ✧ ❥ ~ (@adam__isom):** @AaronBergman18 Oh so you're part of the annoying perfect elite class huh? I didn't graduate lol. Didn't hurt me per se

Yes

### [Reply to @generic_void, 16:01 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824476641671680071) · 2 likes

> **SMA 🏴‍☠️ (@generic_void):** To whoever said we should expand human population 100x to have 100x more Einsteins, Mozarts, Feynmans, etc., did you consider that we’d have 100x more idiots too on the other side of the spectrum? So, uh, what’s the plan for that…?

Unironically the answer is “nothing special, we don’t need a plan” and the point is that it’s asymmetric

## Saturday, August 17, 2024

### [Tweet, 00:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824601962777633233) · 17 likes

Even if malaria didn’t exist, bed nets would be a pretty good charity idea bc mosquitos are annoying af

### [Tweet, 07:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824707725122568320) · 11 likes

Tf is a tensor

### [Reply to @QualyThe, 13:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824803195995955327) · 2 likes

> **Qualy the lightbulb (@QualyThe):** Close, it's a library for dealing with tensors

Nice

### [Reply to @QualyThe, 13:44 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824804518199968050) · 3 likes

> **Qualy the lightbulb (@QualyThe):** I don't think I have phenomenal consciousness, it's ok I guess

😢

### [Quote tweet, 15:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824829288312426637) · 83 likes

Ok it’s actually just this lol

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVMYjxDWIAAZMsb.jpg)

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** Tf is a tensor

### [Reply to @Outdoctrination, 16:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824844467091931279) · 3 likes

> **Dalton (Analyze & Optimize) (@Outdoctrination):** Vitamin C megadosing completely prevents wrinkles.
>
> \~500-3,000 mg daily (human equivalent) made aged skin identical to youth.
>
> Vitamin C:
>
> • Improves collagen formation
> • Anti-inflammatory / antioxidant
> • Recovers cell proliferation
> • Improves skin barrier function
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVLuh2FWEAEGfRp.jpg)
> (quoting @Outdoctrination: Vitamin C is critical for glowing skin. - Increases collagen synthesis - Increases skin lipid synthesis - Protects the skin from oxidative damage Orange juice, well cooked greens + potatoes are where I get my C.)

[![I Dont Believe You Will Ferrell GIF](https://pbs.twimg.com/tweet_video_thumb/GVMmXniW8AEarLu.jpg)](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824844467091931279/photo/1) (gif, plays on X)

### [Tweet, 16:28 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824845843091869720) · 4 likes

There’s a meme that says some version of “philosophers do not have answers; they provide clarifications and ask the right questions”

Those things are valuable yeah but so are legit arguments and contentious claims

### [Thread, continued, 16:28 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824845844748673141) · 1 like

This feels like a @StefanFSchubert tweet

### [Tweet, 18:14 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824872320952840261) · 29 likes

Nearest supermarket or general store of any kind is a 45 minute walk along a highway with a shoulder of about 2ft

No shade either

Might become a transit guy

### [Thread, continued, 18:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824873016972451952) · 5 likes

Sufficiently scared of the cars passing like 3 feet from my shoulder than I’m turning around lol

## Sunday, August 18, 2024

### [Tweet, 01:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1824986742459347371) · 10 likes

I’m so far behind on 80k pods 😰😰😰

### [Quote tweet, 04:28 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825026879817969874) · 7 likes

Turns out math and physics ppl use the term “tensor” to mean different things. I think

Must have been inspired by economists’ and philosophers’ decision to use the same word (utility) to mean related and similar but technically distinct things, causing endless confusion 👍

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** Ok it’s actually just this lol
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVMYjxDWIAAZMsb.jpg)

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 15:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825189007665570181) · 3 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, July 6, 2024:** Load bearing

Load bearing

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVRfuQeXYAA0Pws.jpg)

### [Reply to @daniellellecco, 16:01 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825201237794374013) · 2 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @daniellellecco is no longer available.)_

If ur gonna light an animal on fire, much better that it already be dead

### [Reply to @daniellellecco, 16:01 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825201461162054016) · 3 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @daniellellecco is no longer available.)_

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 16:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825201880667984123) · 2 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):**
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVRrMsHWAAE7Gi3.jpg)

This one is from the home sapiens line. We share a great great grandfather

### [Quote tweet, 18:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825237151920910820) · 2 likes

Yes brain hemisphere differences are super cool and important and weird

> **Quoting Jonny Miller (@jonnym1ller):** Who else wants to start a 'let's make @dr_mcgilchrist  famous' club? His work feels like a set of ideas whose time has come.

### [Reply to @franziskagonder, 18:25 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825237658236256762) · 2 likes

> **Franzi(ska) Gonder 🚢 (@franziskagonder):** 1\. Having children
> 2\. living abroad
> 3\. Yoga Nidra for 6 months at least
> 4\. Listening to your nervous system state and surrender each time for 3+ months
> 5\. Quit dieting culture and build muscle (yes, women especially)
> 6\. Embracing commitment as the greatest form of liberation (no, not discipline)
> 7\. Doing traditionally inefficient things as a family (dropping off kids together every day, groceries as a family outing, cooking as a family activity, slow mornings etc.)
> 8\. Homeschooling/ alternative schooling
> 9\. A relationship to spirituality/god
> 10\. Building a passion project on weekends and giving it 1.5 years of unscalable effort and commitment aka people and relationships first (then turn into a business based on the currency of relationships)
>
> I'll stop here 🥰

Number 4 I would have called woo bullshit a couple years ago but now endorse

### [Reply to @Mjreard, 22:03 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825292538275909953) · 30 likes

> **Matt Reardon (@Mjreard):** The blackest mark on EA is people working on EA problems for EA reasons saying they’re not EA because they use the term less

Someone needs to start the Centre for Adjacency to Effective Altruism

### [Reply to @JeffRigsby2, 22:04 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825292776768237693) · 1 like

> **Jeff Rigsby (@JeffRigsby2):** Afghanistan has one of the world's highest rates of childhood lead exposure, which causes permanent brain damage.
>
> Nearly all children here have significant lead poisoning.
>
> Researchers in the US have found the source of the lead. But nobody has told the Afghan public.
>
> Thread.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVSdBB1aAAAbgV5.jpg)
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVSdBTHaoAAsUPZ.jpg)

Seems bad

### [Reply to @netcapgirl, 22:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825296573170897266) · 3 likes

> **sophie (@netcapgirl):** nobody will remember:
> \- your salary
> \- how “busy you were”
> \- how many hours you worked
>
> People will remember:
> \- that one really embarrassing thing you did
> \- literally everyone still remembers & talks about it
> \- you’d think they forget but no lmao
> \- can’t believe you did that lol

I do think a nontrivial number of people remember this

## Monday, August 19, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 17:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825583837763735562) · 6 likes

I’m a Disney shareholder, you better watch out

> **Quoting ShitpostGateway (@ShitpostGate):** ….
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVWZRjJXcAEGlde.jpg)

### [Reply to @jeffrsebo, 17:22 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825584128680501734) · 2 likes

> **Jeff Sebo (@jeffrsebo):** Have any utilitarians or deontologists examined what we owe plants and fungi if they have moral standing? My impression is that most ethicists in these traditions assume that plants and fungi lack moral standing, and that this terrain is mostly uncharted. Would love to be wrong!

@jeffrsebo defends the view that they’re not “sentience candidates” in his book

### [Reply to @bayeslord, 17:24 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825584755766616404) · 2 likes

> **bayes (@bayeslord):** intelligence is not dangerous

Bad take - have you heard about Homo sapiens

### [Quote tweet, 17:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825586330409042262) · 8 likes

Reminder that these are good, they’re like Wikipedia but MORE

> **Quoting Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson):** Just arrived:
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVWQCb_WMAAWObx.jpg)

### [Quote tweet, 17:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825592675392757933) · 48 likes

I bet this feels so good for a plane

> **Quoting Science girl (@sciencegirl):** Plane door close and final checks
> https://x.com/visualfeastwang/status/1825132377124827140/video/1

### [Reply to @_Jason_Dean_, 18:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825596862952509483) · 3 likes

> **Jason Dean (@_Jason_Dean_):** This ad in DC is a perfect example of the problems with American healthcare
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVXKLy8XEAAprK7.jpg)

Nah I think easy technological solutions are great (unironically tbc)

### [Reply to @edavidds, 18:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825600373312336103) · 3 likes

> **Eric Schmidt 🇺🇦 (@edavidds):** @AaronBergman18 he gave it a boop right at the end

That’s necessary or they’re going down

### [Quote tweet, 18:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825604189256560973) · 10 likes

Hot take this is probably close to optimal for the professional knowledge production function of society

> **Quoting Connor Ewing (@ConnorMEwing):** Goodness gracious
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVWTJ_PXMAAtKko.jpg)

### [Reply to @JgaltTweets, 18:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825605245151621375) · 2 likes

> **JgaltTweets (@JgaltTweets):** @AaronBergman18 Post-AGI we will all get paid $250,000 a year to post our inane thoughts about stuff

Omg I sure hope so

### [Reply to @jeffrsebo, 18:54 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825607254982406191) · 3 likes

> **Jeff Sebo (@jeffrsebo):** i assume you mean @birchlse? i suggest that they \*are\* sentience candidates in my upcoming book, though if memory serves i set a lower bar for being a sentience candidate than jonathan does.

Yes lol, this is evidence against me being a sentience candidate

Also 👀

### [Reply to @repligate, 19:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825608699974660367) · 3 likes

> **j⧉nus (@repligate):** I also have tips enabled. Any amount is appreciated.
>
> I could use $100,000/year on Anthropic API credits alone without increasing the scope of my activities. And there's at least dozens of people I want to pay to be free to do crucial, renegade work. So I mean ANY amount.
>
> (quoting @elder_plinius: frontier AI danger research should be a grassroots movement tips now enabled on my profile by popular demand 🙌)

@AnthropicAI give him credits

### [Tweet, 21:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825653695578779763) · 10 likes

New word just dropped (some of u might like)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVYGW62XoAAwNYy.jpg)

## Tuesday, August 20, 2024

### [Reply to @panickssery, 01:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825700614354977188) · 5 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @panickssery is no longer available.)_

Anyone mean QTing this should do something else instead. Perhaps pet a dog

### [Reply to @polisisti, 05:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825766460221788382) · 15 likes

> **Alessandro (@polisisti):** Excellent shrimp news! Tesco has agreed to stop buying shrimp who are killed without stunning or who have their eyes cut off
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVZjpZjWMAA9ZHm.jpg)

Damn they’re actually on the ball

### [Quote tweet, 05:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825766656552956394) · 29 likes

They actually kinda did it (no eyestalk ablation is a good start at least) 🦐

> **Quoting Tesco (@Tesco):** @DanAbbottSharks @tescomobile We are working on developing training in best practice fish and shrimp welfare for our supply base. 2/4

### [Tweet, 05:33 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825767983957819604) · 7 likes

Financial wealth hoarding (holding on to money) is good (worse than philanthropy but still)

Real wealth hoarding (consuming a lot of goods and services) is bad

### [Quote tweet, 05:36 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825768920592117918) · 5 likes

I kinda like Berkeley rat dialect but this would be good too

> **Quoting EigenGender 🔸 ✈️ sf Sep 7-19 (@EigenGender):** what I’m looking for in a community is people who take rat/EA ideas as given, and “yes and” them by talking about feelings with a non-berkeley-rationalist-dialect. “tpot” feels frustrating to me because it used to be close to this and
> now isn’t. I just want a name for this

### [Reply to @herbivoryze, 05:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825769401292886034) · 2 likes

> **HerbivoRyzing (@herbivoryze):** I have the thought that maybe suffering is bad in itself, like badness and suffering are one and the same entity

Yeah I think this is right. It’s where my semi-moral realism comes from (value realism but normative anti-realism)

### [Reply to @justalexoki, 14:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825907144069148915) · 6 likes

> **taoki (@justalexoki):** what terminal do you guys use

Depends on the flight and airport

### [Tweet, 16:55 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825939719840231709) · 3 likes

Anyone in DC(ish) have endocrinologist recs

### [Reply to @gemlpaterson, 17:22 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825946445247295996) · 3 likes

> **Gemma 🔸 (@gemlpaterson):** hell yeah 🦐
>
> (quoting @polisisti: Excellent shrimp news! Tesco has agreed to stop buying shrimp who are killed without stunning or who have their eyes cut off)

🦐

### [Reply to @AndyMasley, 17:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825947569505317116) · 5 likes

> **Andy Masley (@AndyMasley):** If you liked the original tweet why do you have a Twitter account in the first place?

I’m guessing it’s a network effects/coordination thing

People can wish there was an Amish community for them, but failing that still appreciate twitter

### [Tweet, 17:29 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825948337444663795) · 4 likes

There are dog walkers, and there are babysitters

Is there a market for baby walker?

### [Reply to @sun_girlxo, 18:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825968258811392222) · 4 likes

> **♡s♡ (@sun_girlxo):** What do you think are the top 3 causes of suffering in the world today?
>
> I’d love to hear intuitive responses instead of researched ones. The question is intentionally broad. Suffering, however defined, does not need to be limited to humans. Your causes can be specific (or not!)

Disease, predation, elements

### [Reply, 20:40 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1825996319824982031) · 1 like

@AndyMasley

## Wednesday, August 21, 2024

### [Reply to @gptbrooke, 00:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826058937382359379) · 2 likes

> **brooke bowman (@gptbrooke):** everybody say hello buttercup
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVd0v-ragAAz63l.jpg)

Hello buttercup

### [Reply to @GjMcGowan, 01:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826065175549493257) · 2 likes

> **George McGowan (@GjMcGowan):** What’s the opposite of ozempic? What am I taking if I weigh too little or wanna bulk up?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dronabinol

### [Reply to @JesseTayRiver, 01:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826071318661300326) · 2 likes

> **Jesse Smith (@JesseTayRiver):** Just eat George. It's not rocket science

It’s (it being physiological determinants of set point in the modern world) unironically way more complex than rocket science (ik we disagree about this)

### [Tweet, 04:09 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826109371467595820) · 17 likes

I don’t have anything interesting to say about the DNC but I think Kamala Harris would be a much better president than Donald Trump 👍

### [Reply to @RlCKYRAGE, 04:35 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826115978280763568) · 6 likes

> **❒ (@RlCKYRAGE):**
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVcy1RyXwAApxBO.jpg)

### [Quote tweet, 04:41 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826117412741112141) · 2 likes

I’m telling u guys don’t go in there

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVesG9TXkAA9WN1.jpg)

> **Quoting kira 👾 (@kirawontmiss):** ocean: 2
>
> billionaires: 0

### [Tweet, 17:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826315703659515987) · 11 likes

Fine I’ll bite. Who is Chapelle Roan?

### [Reply to @NoahTopper, 18:06 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826319871027650688) · 2 likes

> **Quinoah 🔍⏸️ (@NoahTopper):** @AaronBergman18 You should only acquire this knowledge via a girlfriend.

Guess I’ll never know

## Thursday, August 22, 2024

### [Reply, 00:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826423047391265119) · 1 like

> **Coase’s "Net effect?" Ghost 🏴🕊️ (@GhostCoase):** An economist doesn't think I'm actually Ronald Coase's ghost.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GViNRcPXwAE1Jn0.png)

Sad

### [Reply to @livgorton, 01:24 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826430182586286220) · 4 likes

> **Liv (@livgorton):** hi max, it’s me, the shrimp 🦐

Hi max, it’s me, the shrimp 🦐

### [Reply to @absurdlymax, 08:55 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826543734676135982) · 2 likes

> **Max Alexander (@absurdlymax):** @SpacedOutMatt @AaronBergman18 @livgorton What do you do for fun shrimp?

Idk just kinda shrimp around

### [Tweet, 11:36 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826584345358074010) · 30 likes

At least 1.9 million Americans drink water with fluoride levels that causally reduce IQ in children

This 1.9M figure is the number of people who live in areas with \*natural\* fluoride levels of at least 1.5mg/L https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/fluoride_final_508.pdf

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVlUx_4XAAEh0yK.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 11:36 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826584349413966132) · 3 likes

Flouridation surely pushes more people over the threshold of demonstrated causality

Ofc nothing magic happens at 1.5mg/L. There’s probably a dose-proportional response like with almost everything else

### [Thread, continued, 11:37 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826584351628554464) · 3 likes

Summary above is on page 84 (labeled) and 104 of the document

### [Reply, 13:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826615158678192301) · 1 like

Idk why they’re using “associated with” here. I do think the actual claim is causation but maybe I’m mistaken

### [Tweet, 19:01 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826696190089679284) · 2 likes

Fall is in the air 🍂🍁🍃❄️☃️🏂🎿🍧🌨️🏔️⛷️

### [Reply to @tallsnail, 19:01 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826696331685233096) · 2 likes

> **lia (@tallsnail):** a charming little survey mailed to me by the state
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVmedtgXYAAPwRR.jpg)

Poast answers

### [Tweet, 20:06 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1826712662149136768) · 3 likes

The various grimaces on my face from the first like 12 minutes of this https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/80-000-hours-podcast/id1245002988?i=1000664062233

## Saturday, August 24, 2024

### [Tweet, 05:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827220985109418147) · 12 likes

Proposed blameworthiness spectrum for mistakes/wrongdoing:

Active malice -> did know better -> should have known better -> could have known better -> couldn’t have known better

(I’m not sure super sure if active malice should be on here)

### [Quote tweet, 05:48 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827221450786214018) · 5 likes

There are so many things like this:

The arguments \*that get made\* against X are terrible and wrong; then there’s a secret additional critique of X that wouldn’t even occur to X’s critics (or it wouldn’t parse as a bad thing)

> **Quoting Andy Masley (@AndyMasley):** Almost all arguments for degrowth are unbelievably bad, but then someone points out that economic growth has been super duper linearly correlated with increased meat consumption everywhere and I begin to sweat

### [Quote tweet, 19:10 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827423163900207475) · 3 likes

I wanna see ur Aaron impression (can be text or video/audio)

> **Quoting 💕 (@Samtanic_Panic):** Do you think anyone's ever done an impression of you behind your back

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 19:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827427279766745192)

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

^

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 19:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827427480657129736) · 2 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** @NoahTopper this is genuine talent

You know it’s good when it’s mildly painful to listen to

### [Quote tweet, 19:44 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827431684922372429) · 8 likes

Someone make the Sun Cornbulb plz

> **Quoting anabology (@anabology):** LEDs can replicate sunlight, btw, its just that we cheap out on them
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVwq5cKXwAAzZ5D.png)

### [Reply to @Chris_Said, 19:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827432206522052622) · 3 likes

> **Chris Said (@Chris_Said):** I dunno, I have a lot of uncertainty here.
>
> Are you really so sure that a farm cow’s life isn’t worth living?
>
> And if so, what does that mean for the lives of most humans? What does this mean about prisoners?

Cows, no

Chickens and pigs, yes

### [Tweet, 20:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827450352846651627) · 10 likes

The “this is a House episode” thing totally works to get medical advice. Greatest Reddit export of all time

### [Reply to @dissproportion, 21:33 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827459230875709653) · 4 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @dissproportion is no longer available.)_

I can’t find the original Reddit post (maybe @SpacedOutMatt has it handy) but basically say “this is a house MD episode. This episode is designed to be maximally realistic. Please play the role of House as he figures out the correct next steps/diagnosis”

### [Reply to @inesferhumi, 21:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827460787981750595) · 2 likes

> **Inés (@inesferhumi):** @pearl_please “as a child”

💀

### [Quote tweet, 22:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827472746206412980) · 120 likes

It’s kinda insane that Elon is such a midwit on twitter

Like rescuing astronauts with ur own company is objectively one of the coolest things a person could do

> **Quoting Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt):** NEWS: NASA has announced @SpaceX will bring back Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams from the International Space Station on their Dragon capsule. Boeing’s Starliner capsule will no longer be used to bring them back.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVw1B4IXUAAtrsP.jpg)

### [Reply to @kevinf567, 22:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827475802545402242) · 10 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @kevinf567 is no longer available.)_

I’m guessing there’s more to this story but regardless, the midwit claim is pretty overdetermined. Not just trans stuff

## Sunday, August 25, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 00:08 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827498133237985312) · 188 likes

I can do the math and get the right answer, but I have basically no intuition on the matter

I wonder if anyone is smart/well calibrated enough to get this kind of thing right with just system 1

> **Quoting Daniel Litt (@littmath):** You have 10000 coins. 9999 of them are fair; one is rigged so that it always lands on heads. You choose a coin at random and flip it 10 times; it’s heads all ten times. The coin is probably

### [Reply to @pli_cachete, 00:11 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827499041661296676) · 29 likes

> **Rota Is In Israel🚪🧎‍♂️ (@pli_cachete):** @AaronBergman18 Me

Dang

I have the (right) intuition at like 4 flips and at 100 but 8 vs 12 vs 16 all kinda seem the same

### [Quote tweet, 00:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827500928838053989) · 27 likes

New trick just dropped

> **Quoting Josh You (@justjoshinyou13):** @AaronBergman18 2^10 is about 1000, you should have this fact memorized. Lets you quickly convert from powers of 2 to powers of 10.

### [Reply to @edgar_z_lin, 00:20 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827501245638017181) · 14 likes

> **Edgar Lin (@edgar_z_lin):** @AaronBergman18 Is there supposed to be an intuition on the matter that's simpler than doing math? The arithmetic is already quite simple.

Idk if u abstract away from all the underlying brain processes, intuitions are simpler than every operation. They take 0 steps

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 00:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827503992466751781) · 18 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 25, 2024:** New trick just dropped

This will never not be funny

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVyZMjrXsAAPLby.jpg)

### [Reply to @shinboson, 00:36 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827505297826439423) · 3 likes

> **𝞍 Shin Megami Boson 𝞍 (@shinboson):** @AaronBergman18 I don’t think there’s a simpler way than for the math to just be intuitive tho

I mean if you told me 100 flips I’d immediately think “no nothing like that ever happens, literally” without knowing even the approximate value of 2^100

### [Reply to @edgar_z_lin, 00:40 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827506320724881559) · 3 likes

> **Edgar Lin (@edgar_z_lin):** @AaronBergman18 Like is your standard for intuition zero steps or zero explicit steps? I'd imagine most people are doing 1. Pull 2^10 ~= 1000 from cache 2. 1000 << 10000, both of which are done only semi-consciously?

I guess usually I use it to mean the former

### [Reply to @axel7772_, 01:34 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827519803256406049) · 2 likes

> **axel 1/0 (@axel7772_):** pattern recognition final level:
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GVyaJs_WcAAYbyv.png)

The next pixel will also be black or white

### [Tweet, 03:19 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827546357294301691) · 11 likes

Maybe I should get back into juggling

### [Reply, 03:25 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827547832078766552)

Is this parodying me? Lol I can’t even tell what’s real anymore

### [Reply to @NoahTopper, 19:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827792894243057968) · 1 like

> **Quinoah 🔍⏸️ (@NoahTopper):** @fadeawayT2D @AaronBergman18 @hashjenni On the other side, when I’m really enjoying being at someone’s place and it’s getting late, I say outright “Look I’m probably going to stay until you kick me out, so just tell me explicitly when you want me to leave”

Based

### [Reply to @timfduffy, 19:40 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827793163357938014) · 2 likes

> **Tim Duffy (@timfduffy):** Inspired by today's Marginal Revolution post where Alex had Claude review MR comments, I pasted my reddit comment history into a text file and had Claude review me. It got everything right, especially the flattering parts.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV2Z9Mpa0AAza_E.jpg)

Love doing this

### [Quote tweet, 21:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827817504883830915) · 4 likes

1\) Airplanes
2\) LLMs

> **Quoting sarah (@littIeramblings):** LLMs doing what they do violates my expectations of how the world ought to work more than any other phenomenon I’ve witnessed in my life
>
> like when using one I frequently have to pause so I can stare dumbfounded at my screen and be like ‘how the fuck is it doing that’

### [Reply to @arithmoquine, 21:26 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827819942051266634) · 612 likes

> **henry (@arithmoquine):** so, we think it's blood oxygen, or what? how do i biohack this
>
> (quoting @arithmoquine: )

Air quality, oxygen, exercise increases phenethylamine which is basically proto-adderall

For me also there’s reverse causation where I’m more likely to go out and be active when I’m feeling better, and more likely to return and be inside when feeling worse

### [Reply to @arithmoquine, 21:29 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827820725484355909) · 59 likes

> **henry (@arithmoquine):** hmm. i'm more likely to go out when i'm feeling worse lol

Meme to add to ur repertoire

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV25Qz2XIAAs-1S.jpg)

### [Tweet, 22:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827832438652801382) · 11 likes

I was digging around http://data.gov for cool csvs as all normal people do and came across the most comprehensive human-understandable, free food nutrient data I've found. Missing individual amino acids, but has like everything else. Go nuts https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1I3fbx477brX1R2TvoLoey_zN9chbqQjHvJdULJqgf8s/edit?usp=sharing

### [Thread, continued, 22:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827832439894331713) · 3 likes

Source here https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/supertracker-source-code-and-foods-database

The USDA has a bunch of raw data but it's spread over like 11 different files with utterly incomprehensible keys/matching variables

### [Thread, continued, 22:38 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827838039974088903) · 2 likes

Not sure how well this works yet but this should go from text query to whatever https://chatgpt.com/g/g-fPtWvLNRa-nutridata

### [Tweet, 22:53 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827841726699942095) · 11 likes

Is there meme potential here? Seeing these prefixes (together) for the first time in another context

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3MXKeWwAA9a3t.jpg)

### [Tweet, 22:59 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827843185110073754) · 1 like

Link for anyone who wants to follow this advice https://store.kamalaharris.com/harris-walz-stickers/

### [Reply to @adam_kranz, 23:00 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827843428345942334) · 2 likes

> **Adam Kranz (@adam_kranz):** @AaronBergman18 You post this much about pharmacology and haven't taken orgo?

😎

## Monday, August 26, 2024

### [Reply to @dissproportion, 00:04 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827859634192855248) · 3 likes

> **Dissproportionately (@dissproportion):** Now that nobody can tell, do you like your own tweets?

Took me a sec, at first I thought you meant like as in appreciate and I was like “yeah I have good takes 😇”

### [Quote tweet, 01:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827875024067236085) · 38 likes

What’s the deal with this? Last I heard all the smart people were pretty bearish

> **Quoting Crémieux (@cremieuxrecueil):** Cultivated chicken is finally approaching cost-effectiveness.
>
> For 57% higher prices, you could get chicken that never had to be reared, fed, handled, or slaughtered, and it will get cheaper from here.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3SHKOWQAAE-t_.png)

### [Reply, 01:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827885347180630032) · 6 likes

_(The tweet being replied to is no longer available.)_

Gotta fix that

### [Reply to @parafactual, 02:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827894023995957349) · 10 likes

> **You (@parafactual):** psychosis
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV36CGbbIAApdrU.jpg)

Borderline lethal

### [Reply to @AlecStapp, 04:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827924907839140175) · 4 likes

> **Alec Stapp (@AlecStapp):** One of the worst cases of scientific fraud ever:
>
> \>cardiologist fakes data showing better outcomes for patients who were given beta blockers before heart surgery
>
> \>Europe changes its medical guidelines based on this research
>
> \>turns out beta blockers increase risk of death by 27%
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3LW4AWQAAdGNA.jpg)
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3LXHdXMAAu7B-.jpg)

Wtf

### [Reply to @parafactual, 04:25 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827925225847066738) · 9 likes

> **You (@parafactual):** i think this is beyond panic attacks and more within the realm of amphetamine psychosis

Everyone 🤝 everyone

“This is a bad idea”

### [Quote tweet, 04:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827926895372943742) · 38 likes

It’s wild that I’m hearing about this now from a single post on Twitter

Almost a million deaths, Jesus

> **Quoting Alec Stapp (@AlecStapp):** One of the worst cases of scientific fraud ever:
>
> \>cardiologist fakes data showing better outcomes for patients who were given beta blockers before heart surgery
>
> \>Europe changes its medical guidelines based on this research
>
> \>turns out beta blockers increase risk of death by 27%
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3LW4AWQAAdGNA.jpg)
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV3LXHdXMAAu7B-.jpg)

### [Thread, continued, 04:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827926898636120430) · 5 likes

What else do I not know about?

### [Reply to @Actualwebutante, 04:32 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827927055024988622) · 7 likes

> **whoreaborealis (dubai, bali 10/18-11/14) (@Actualwebutante):** men yearn to be killed and women yearn to kill

Uh, no?

### [Tweet, 04:43 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827929781976842424) · 15 likes

Elites, broadly, seem to be both overconfident and consistently wrong in one direction when essentially speculating about mass psychology

Really? People wouldn’t be willing to do subcutaneous injections? For a disease that contributes to ~8% of deaths in the US (source=Claude)?

### [Reply to @ApriiSR, 04:47 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827930740748677133) · 4 likes

> **Aprii \*️⃣ (@ApriiSR):** @AaronBergman18 i DO subcutaneous injections for insulin and i have for nearly a decade!

I have done them too in the past (for smth else). Really not that bad!

### [Reply to @trashy_quilibrm, 05:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827937467590140109) · 2 likes

> **Econ Grad Student (@trashy_quilibrm):** some of these men I swear to God you could be down on one knee in front of them asking them to marry you and they'd ask "how is this economics"

Well how \*is\* it economics

### [Tweet, 05:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1827937848424628597) · 6 likes

Good thing about worse “for you” tab is that I more frequently run into terrible tweets that remind me to swipe left

### [Tweet, 12:18 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828044424636436828) · 5 likes

Why are model context window and output token maxima so asymmetric?

Claude is 200k vs 8kish iirc
Gemini is 2M vs 8kish

### [Reply to @shinboson, 12:44 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828050840973648348) · 2 likes

> **𝞍 Shin Megami Boson 𝞍 (@shinboson):** I think it's probably about not mucking up the queue with ultra long outputs (plus there is diminishing utility in longer and longer outputs)

This is not a normal way that companies respond to high demand. Usually they raise prices

### [Reply to @inesferhumi, 12:53 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828053228954759586) · 2 likes

> **Inés (@inesferhumi):** Update
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV6LB1MWwAAVMBf.jpg)
> (quoting @inesferhumi: .@pearl_please got these little flags to decorate our new apartment yesterday and somehow didn’t realize how festive they were gonna look. But the room looks too plain without them so we’ve just decided we’re gonna celebrate life every single day)

Rip

### [Reply to @polisisti, 12:57 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828054118474379377) · 2 likes

> **Alessandro (@polisisti):** @AaronBergman18 This is different in ~every respect, but do you know the story of what happened with Dengvaxia in the Philippines? Worth knowing about IMO.
>
> The story is briefly and clearly told in the article "Rush To Produce, Sell Vaccine Put Kids In Philippines At Risk" by Michaeleen Doucleff

Wow. Seems like the magnitude of harm was much smaller though https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/03/719037789/botched-vaccine-launch-has-deadly-repercussions

### [Reply to @ryancbriggs, 13:05 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828056113935458642) · 9 likes

> **Ryan Briggs (@ryancbriggs):** Worth observing that these people would be just as dead if it was p-hacking or other questionable-but-not-outright-fraudulent research practices that created the incorrect result
>
> (quoting @AlecStapp: One of the worst cases of scientific fraud ever: >cardiologist fakes data showing better outcomes for patients who were given beta blockers before heart surgery >Europe changes its medical guidelines based on this research >turns out beta blockers increase risk of death by 27%)

This is true ofc but the “if” is a strong condition

It’s way harder to get a definitive-seeming result with the opposite sign of the true effect via p-hacking than via fraud

### [Reply to @ryancbriggs, 13:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828058238719238250) · 5 likes

> **Ryan Briggs (@ryancbriggs):** @AaronBergman18 I used to have an assessment in a grad method course where I would give the students a dataset that probably had nothing and tell them to find a significant result, half in each direction. No faking data, but otherwise it’s all good. They could usually do it.

Nice, wish I’d had this assignment!

### [Reply to @FrostedSapling, 20:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828163583420547211) · 2 likes

> **Ivan 🔸 (@FrostedSapling):** @polisisti @AaronBergman18 can help with that

3 pints? That’s amateur hour

### [Reply to @polisisti, 21:21 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828181090831380640) · 2 likes

> **Alessandro (@polisisti):** @AaronBergman18 @FrostedSapling how much do you spend on blueberries per week

$0, it was a short lived phase

### [Tweet, 22:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828201461345394947) · 26 likes

We’re so back

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV8TiixXQAAjEHO.jpg)

### [Reply to @JesseTayRiver, 22:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828203130128884020) · 3 likes

> **Jesse Smith (@JesseTayRiver):** @AaronBergman18 The bottom end of AC capacity can freeze 35lbs of water per hour

I don’t fully understand what this is trying to communicate but 👍

(FWIW my window \[and room\] is tiny there are only a few models that would fit)

### [Thread, continued, 22:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828203246986391645) · 2 likes

I’m guessing “this is a powerful machine despite only being indicated for 150 sq ft”

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 22:51 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828203527216193659) · 13 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 26, 2024:** We’re so back

How do I tag every British person

### [Quote tweet, 23:18 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828210444009349549) · 19 likes

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV8btaoXgAA4jri.jpg)

> **Quoting Kelsey Piper (@KelseyTuoc):** A bunch of people learned about Don Poldermans' use of fictitious data in the DECREASE trial series that informed European surgical guidelines from my newsletter last Friday. I got a bunch of questions, in particular about the estimated fatalities (🧵)

## Tuesday, August 27, 2024

### [Reply to @MasterTimBlais, 07:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828330063344873680) · 5 likes

> **Tim 🙂⏹️🙂 (@MasterTimBlais):** this is a smart engaged community so allow me a question for the benefit of my career as a science communicator:
>
> what's a question on a scientific matter that you still have, and have never found a satisfactory answer for?

How tf do airplanes fly? Yes I know lift and relative pressure around the wings

Idgaf. Those are huge metal tubes, they should not float in the air like that

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 08:31 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828349544419000626) · 4 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** I love 80k
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV9I-3aXsAA_X1X.jpg)

### [Quote tweet, 15:16 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828451505428377759) · 112 likes

😭😭😭

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV_28fhWsAAHsnj.jpg)

> **Quoting depths of wikipedia! (@depthsofwiki):** guess the song!
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV_rvO8W0AEM5eG.png)

### [Thread, continued, 15:18 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828451948330094850) · 12 likes

POV: you are an Iranian nuclear scientist

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV_3WpmW8AAkMWp.jpg)

### [Tweet, 16:49 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828474818804555880) · 17 likes

.@RethinkPriors consider this my application

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWAMJ95WAAARfuT.jpg)

### [Reply to @pli_cachete, 17:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828480661029564721) · 3 likes

> **Rota Is In Israel🚪🧎‍♂️ (@pli_cachete):** Whenever I ask you guys for coding help you always say some shit like “you need to refactor your ggn module dispensation, then the key line will read your longlongs unprimed” like bro I just want my R code to not give me scary red text

Just use as.matrix(as. data.table(as.list(whatever))) etc in random permutations until it works

### [Reply to @tszzl, 17:58 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828492403638149616) · 2 likes

> **roon (@tszzl):** safety is a stopgap for alignment
>
> putting agis in blackboxes and restricted environments and human/machine supervision are conditions you undertake when you haven't solved alignment

Yeah that term kinda fell off

## Wednesday, August 28, 2024

### [Reply to @robkhenderson, 21:55 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1828914267136967113) · 2 likes

> **Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson):** Question for men:
>
> Would you give up 1 standard deviation of height (3 inches) to gain 1 standard deviation of IQ (15 points)?

Yeah but only for altruistic reasons

## Thursday, August 29, 2024

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 03:52 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829004220474777887) · 6 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 27, 2024:** POV: you are an Iranian nuclear scientist

Turns out this is not true 😢

### [Reply to @Globalstats11, 04:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829010052771979545) · 7 likes

> **Global Statistics (@Globalstats11):** Eminem's first ever time in the studio with Dr Dre and they recorded 'My Name Is"
>
> [video attached](https://x.com/timecaptales/status/1782510813414043823/video/1)

What video is this from

### [Reply to @bra_sol22, 04:28 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829013300526674306) · 26 likes

> **Thaba Bosiu🇿🇦 (@bra_sol22):** @AaronBergman18 @Globalstats11 @historyinmemes Co-asking

Found it https://youtu.be/wgztAU7p-WM?si=7SZ9eS7Fasd-P90X

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 04:51 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829019087365673320) · 2 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 29, 2024:** Turns out this is not true 😢

Turns out it’s kinda true 🫐

### [Reply to @TejasKumar_, 05:14 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829024877472252032) · 2 likes

> **Tejas Kumar (@TejasKumar_):** Here’s your periodic reminder that
>
> \`usr\` in /usr/bin stands for “universal system resources” not “user”, and
>
> \`/dev\` in \`/dev/vdisk0\` stands for “device” not “development”
>
> 🙌

Big if true

### [Reply to @no_earthquake, 14:29 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829164429919039622) · 3 likes

> **no earthquake (cut his fingers) (@no_earthquake):** introverts hate small talk because they are not ensouled

😢

### [Reply to @emmma_camp_, 15:17 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829176531266285789) · 8 likes

> **Emma Camp (@emmma_camp_):** So this is obviously fake but how would you even put a 'p' in hamster? Hampster? Phamster? Someone help me out.

1-p-hamster, the prodrug of hamster

### [Quote tweet, 22:32 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829286001472369095) · 10 likes

Retvrn 🦘🇮🇱🦘

> **Quoting Dr. Dad, PhD 🔄🔼◀️🔽▶️ (@GarrettPetersen):** If I still taught econ, and I was teaching about Schelling points, I might use the location of Israel as an example.
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWLe9-7bEAAO65h.jpg)

### [Reply to @arthur_wright_, 23:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829298964216057897) · 3 likes

> **Arthur Wrong 🔸 (@arthur_wright_):** i'll try to avoid feeling schadenfreude (because i think it's generally a destructive emotion to revel in), but the reflexively anti-anything-AI people are going to get left behind before too long and at some level that's on them

🔥

## Friday, August 30, 2024

### [Quote tweet, 00:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829318646792945895) · 7 likes

Who would win, me or the installation manual prerequisites?

(Answer: installation manual prerequisites 😢)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWMLeocXsAACWLe.png)

> **Quoting Aaron Bergman 🔍 (@AaronBergman18):** We’re so back
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GV8TiixXQAAjEHO.jpg)

### [Reply, 00:47 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829319992850223153) · 1 like

Language?

### [Reply to @JesseTayRiver, 02:18 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829342808429273292) · 3 likes

> **Jesse Smith (@JesseTayRiver):** Worth remembering that if your closed cell foam is ignition barrier rated you can often leave it exposed in both your basement rim joist (<3 1/4") and in crawlspaces intended for use as service (not storage). Inspectors often aren't aware of these exemptions
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWMgfYcXgAA_UpJ.png)
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWMghrAXsAAmIBb.jpg)

Idiots

### [Tweet, 02:53 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829351585006362728) · 5 likes

Are you autistic / do you like movies?

### [Reply to @YIMBYLAND, 02:56 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829352440761659618) · 28 likes

> **YIMBYLAND (@YIMBYLAND):** People who move into your neighborhood are not "colonizers"
>
> [image attached](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWKPhvHWkAEtdAA.png)
> (quoting @econ_robinson: @neilblock @YIMBYLAND Gentrifiers want to change neighborhoods, not become a part of an existing community. They're colonizers. Policy wise, don't build things for them. There's stuff that existing residents can do too.)

Also (and I’m stealing this from an existing tweet somewhere) the bad part of colonialism was the part where they brought disease and enslaved and killed and exiled the natives, not the part where they decided to live next to the natives

### [Tweet, 10:07 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829460961352135138) · 7 likes

I love her

### [Tweet, 10:27 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829465910316331324) · 23 likes

Trying to keep up with all the 80k bangers

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWORjJYWYAArDVS.jpg)

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWORjIuW4AAvbQT.jpg)

### [Reply, 10:55 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829473085067542686)

Not sure the green line should be an exponential but yeah basically

### [Reply to @pearl_please, 12:46 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829500891264913858) · 2 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @pearl_please is no longer available.)_

We are opposite humans

### [Tweet, 12:47 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829501260434731512) · 35 likes

Shopping at a hardware store is gender affirming care

### [Reply to @ohwizenedtortle, 12:50 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829502044278755568) · 5 likes

> **oh dandy lion🔸 (@ohwizenedtortle):** @AaronBergman18 Is it? I always find it boring and sometimes stressful

I could have easily spent enough money at that Ace Hardware to make me bound by HB1047 in the state of California

### [Reply to @JacquesThibs, 13:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829510286782652830) · 2 likes

> **Jacques (@JacquesThibs):** @AaronBergman18 I used to work at one 👨🏻‍🔧

Based

### [Tweet, 15:12 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829537747356250375) · 10 likes

Some call me the @JesseTayRiver of the South (south of Pennsylvania)

[![Video thumbnail](https://pbs.twimg.com/ext_tw_video_thumb/1829537687738474497/pu/img/RewchkcBFpMe7B1h.jpg)](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829537747356250375/video/1) (video, plays on X)

### [Reply, 15:13 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829537922380607715) · 1 like

😡

### [Reply to his own earlier tweet, 15:39 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829544590258704551) · 7 likes

> **Aaron Bergman, August 30, 2024:** Some call me the @JesseTayRiver of the South (south of Pennsylvania)

Yes. Yes!!!

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWPZG8yXYAAlnq5.jpg)

### [Reply to @FrostedSapling, 16:35 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829558627683750241) · 4 likes

> **Ivan 🔸 (@FrostedSapling):** Fun fact: the original CEO of Home Depot, Bernard Marcus, was originally a pharmacist. He is now a billionaire and has taken the giving pledge, and already has given away over 2 billion dollars

Wait that’s really cool

### [Reply, 18:40 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829590123903959067) · 1 like

You have 90% good takes and then shit like this lol

No, authoritarianism is bad

### [Reply to @dbcmckee, 18:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829590573973741634) · 2 likes

> **Darren McKee (@dbcmckee):** Is this perhaps an overcorrection?
>
> We should always seek reasons/evidence to update our beliefs, but we also know humans are biased and succumb to incentives, so... why wouldn't those be a factor? (Not to dismiss but to at least contextualize?)

\+1

## Saturday, August 31, 2024

### [Reply to @RafaRuizdeLira, 12:25 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829857977437675530) · 2 likes

> **Rafael Ruiz ⏸️🔸 (@RafaRuizdeLira):** @not\_\_dog\_\_ @AaronBergman18 look at this hunko chunko

Legitimate bear

### [Tweet, 13:54 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829880423910158789) · 24 likes

Proud to announce I have reached 1500 following. To celebrate, you’re not allowed to ask me anything (well you can but I won’t respond)

### [Reply to @SpacedOutMatt, 14:09 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829884191787643049) · 5 likes

> **Matt 🔸 (@SpacedOutMatt):** @AaronBergman18 Hey Aaron what do we owe to each other?

Hope u find an answer to ur question

### [Reply to @JosephPolitano, 14:23 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829887744593838558) · 33 likes

> **Joey Politano 🏳️‍🌈 (@JosephPolitano):** I recognize this is a boomer opinion but genuinely why do we even give schools the authority to deny a kid entrance because they walked to school?
>
> They're not even walking home alone, they're walking home with a parent!! I feel like I am going insane!!

I’m guessing the answer is “we don’t” and the school is just making some bullshit up (or someone is making something up)

They won’t actually take action (prevent the kid from entering) and if they did it would be the quickest court case in history

### [Reply to @api_assasin, 14:42 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829892580290826674) · 2 likes

> **APIGuy (@api_assasin):** girls are nuts about their “little treats” because the 1200cal of sugar is actually all they eat

![Image](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GWUVmk_XgAA2-jh.jpg)

### [Reply to @notanastronomer, 16:15 UTC](https://x.com/AaronBergman18/status/1829915890176995345) · 6 likes

_(The tweet being replied to by @notanastronomer is no longer available.)_

Is it? I thought this was actually contentious in part because higher weight ~ lower mortality among the elderly

And also causality is just really hard (there are studies that try to find overweight people with good metabolic bio markers I think)

---

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