Bitcoin Tech Talk #481
Interesting Stuff
Derisking Leads to Overfitting - Erik Hoel writes about overfitting, specifically as how it shows up in culture. This is the phenomenon where we see logos, cars, movies, even people looking more and more similar as the variety reduces. As with the phenomenon of model collapse, the copy of a copy of a copy ends up pretty bland and meaningless. What’s unsaid is that the overfitting phenomenon is a fiat money phenomenon where everything is de-risked as much as possible. When everything is funded through loans, every project requires approval from some bureaucrat, which act like AI filters. Is it any wonder that the results are bland and boring?
Nihilism of Bryan Johnson - James Taylor Foreman writes about Bryan Johnson, who has been spending millions every year in an attempt to live forever. The article isn’t about the actual protocols being followed by the would-be immortal, but rather his telos, or drive. What surprised me is how devoid of meaning Bryan’s philosophy is. Yet in a way, his pursuit of immortality makes sense, as he has rejected God, his family and even living to a degree and thus all possibility of meaning. What else is there other than living longer if there’s no afterlife or even legacy? His is what it looks like to have biological life without spiritual life.
Amish History - Jane Psmith has a review of a book on the Amish and their many splits. The article starts with the history of these people, starting with the reason for their immigration to America in the first place. They were concerned that their children were getting corrupted by the modern world and would not keep their traditions, something parents in every generation have worried about. There have been many splits among the Amish, including some that allow use of tractors, for example and others that do not. The main thing I got from this article is that these people think deeply about technology’s effect on their community and religious life, something moderns don’t really do much of.
Reinterpreting Fight Club - This is one of the most insightful analyses of one of my favorite movies. Josh Nadeau writes about meaning in the modern world in a 3-part series through an analysis of the movie Fight Club, the third of which is linked here. The article goes through the nihilistic framing of the book, where everything is drab, dull and boring because there’s little meaning to be had. The main insight is that the protagonist attempts to create meaning through not just rejection of the 9-to-5, but through a different order. Yet as the article points out, the community and purpose created in the movie are ultimately just as empty because there’s still no transcendence, no reality beyond the drab, dull and boring one of the here and now.
Gift Cards - This article is probably more information about gift cards than you probably wanted to know, but how these systems work is fascinating. As with most payment systems, gifts cards are pretty heavily regulated, and besides Bitcoin, is one of the most frequent methods by which internet fraudsters get paid. The reason is largely due to the regulation around it, which is such that regulators specifically don’t go after gift card fraud under a certain amount. The article reminded me that there are many unintended consequences of laws, and the fact that gift cards are used to defraud AARP members, for example, is one of those.
What I'm up to
Book Review - I reviewed the book Leaving a Legacy by Johann Kurtz, who I had on my podcast a couple weeks ago. If you’re interested in the topic of creating a family legacy, you should look at the review and the book!
The Bitcoin Group - I was on the show to talk about Bitcoin mining in Ukraine, Saylor’s cash stash and Nakamoto (the company) possibly being delisted. It’s always a fun show to do and despite the sideways price action, it was a lively discussion.
Max and Stacy Bitcoin Invitational - I will be at this event in El Salvador on January 8-10. Besides Bitcoin, there will be golf, pickleball and poker among other things.
Nostr Note of the Week
