I actually think this idea, if executed well, might be quite valuable and not just when it comes to talent funneling.
The competitive format would make the skill(s) involved more legible and approachable to people who are not adjacent to EA. Because, when something becomes a sport, it gives that skill more visibility and that visibility is what allows people outside the community to learn and absorb it. In the same way the existence of elite runners inspires millions of people to start jogging / running, even though those people will actually never race competitively.
So, in an ideal scenario, this could make this specific combination of “mind skills” feel like something worth being publicly good at.
I am not sure how this kind of competition would look like and how it could be judged, though. Maybe it can even be some sort of “triathlon” of thinking-related tasks?
I actually think this idea, if executed well, might be quite valuable and not just when it comes to talent funneling.
The competitive format would make the skill(s) involved more legible and approachable to people who are not adjacent to EA. Because, when something becomes a sport, it gives that skill more visibility and that visibility is what allows people outside the community to learn and absorb it. In the same way the existence of elite runners inspires millions of people to start jogging / running, even though those people will actually never race competitively.
So, in an ideal scenario, this could make this specific combination of “mind skills” feel like something worth being publicly good at.
I am not sure how this kind of competition would look like and how it could be judged, though. Maybe it can even be some sort of “triathlon” of thinking-related tasks?