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Maynk02
Karma: 41
A Brief Summary Of The Most Important Century
Lessons from ‘Famine, Affluence, and Morality’ and its reflection on today.
How often does One Person succeed?
Great Timeline. Quite motivating as well.
another story from me ;)-
When I went to rejoin the government hostel of IIT Delhi after the lockdown and subsequent online semester, I found out the bizarre ways the mess management of the hostel used to dispose of tons of fresh food.
There had been many NSS(National Social Services) drives related to disposing of remaining food before, for all three meal timings and despite the planning to great lengths and student participation they were never successful and eventually ceased. The real reason behind it- the doers get bored after the doing eventually.
When the messes opened after the lockdown, there were systems placed for cooking and distribution to other hostels. Initially, food used to come prepared. Approximately, for a hundred students. After the mess timings, almost half of it was being drained into the waste sewer. When asked to one of the staff officials talked to the mess supervisor about it, he said it was meant to be this way as they are not interested enough to do this additional task in such dark times. Hence I decided to do something on my own.
According to the rules, a student is supposed to take food in the desired amount as well as has the option to save food for later and keep it in the common small fridge. Then I started implementing my own initiative gradually, day by day. Every day, starting from the morning meal, I went on going to the mess to eat at the end and till the very last minute on the schedule. Eating ever so slowly I befriend the staff of the kitchen. When the end time hit, I used to go to the kitchen to pack food for later, but in a significant amount, which I stored in the fridge. Simultaneously, I noticed the staff of various hostel departments, taking some of the remaining food for their family and occasionally trying to hide it . Instead, I promoted their personal agenda and even offered my food stored in the fridge to them if needed in case of shortage ’cuz if it’s drained it’s begone. At that time only I revealed to them that I donate most of my stored food (after eating part of it during the night hours) to the slums surrounding the campus. I was open from the beginning and kind, gentle, and straightforward, because technically I was the only authority on that material, and what I took outside was defined as waste. In weeks of time, it was established that the remaining food will belong to me every day and that’s without any official permission because I am solely acting on my own. Since it was made known to staff and local authorities and because I was honest in the process, most of them supported me in their own way. I used disposable bags of different sizes from my own money which were not expensive, AL foil from the mess staff and fresh bin bags from the cleaning staff for the ultimate storage of the filled bags. At the time of curfew in the hostel, I used local delivery apps to deliver the packages at nominal rates, which was hard in the beginning but gradually sustained. The whole operation lasted until I left the college in July. The entire expenditure was a bit at times, it was worth actually feeding a significant number of people than an entire small NGO.
Half Monkey, Half God- The Key To Replacing Guilt : Summary
That is one lost opportunity...
Hi Sean,
(Sorry for the late question!)
Being in the field of providing solutions for mental health, what is your opinion on S-risk and Longtermism? Do you think such topics are directly in line with the cause prioritization of mental well-being?
Just a small query: Does the link require a specific server/setting to open?
Tried two different browsers on two different devices but the link just won’t open.
I am using Chrome and Firefox. My network speed is decent(plays 2k res with ease)
Please check as it’s showing server not found...
Intro to the book: Animal Weapons by Douglas Emlen.
I. Starting Small
II. Triggering The Race
III. Running its course
Hello Lizka,
I want to ask whether I should apply for my project. I am working to find ways to help students in India who get suppressed using aspects of mental well-being. Last year, I posted on the forum [1], but unfortunately, I didn’t receive much response. Since then, I’ve tried to connect with people working in the relevant field, numerous organizations, and working bodies. Sadly, the only kind of support out there is in the form of virtual support, online therapy, or similar kinds of damage control measures, often after months of engagement. I failed to find any organization or people who are working as an action-taking body or helping victims by providing any real support. I’ve previously applied to form a working organization for the same cause area, in EA and other grants, but since my project doesn’t deal with providing a digital solution, it was marginalized. I am currently working on the same, as the pattern I’ve mentioned in my post has become more prominent in my associated institution. I can also write a consolidated report for the Answer here or any group working on a similar cause area.
Thanks for an insightful read.
By the way, the post is almost entirely available to listen to on Google Play Book’s Audiobook preview. I think it’s safe to add Will’s official audio or a link post to the top.
IV. Parallels and Review
I think making the point of AI governance is quite valid here. And so is the progress of AI applications by OpenAI tools like GPTs, Sora, and the upcoming multimodal AI application. It is important to note that a majority of exposure affects large groups of un-savvy individuals in both the common workforce as well as the decision-makers. As someone who has a significant background in videos- what goes into the making and how it exists in the open- I can say there was sufficient time to implement a basic structural provision in the sector of generative media. It is/was obvious that the unregulated use of massive data is in play and only giants can try to sue giants, and as of now, that’s just it. There should have been strict rules formed before marketing platforms like Sora. It is not hard to see that tech companies are not focused on AI alignment right now. New research aligns toward making the most in a competitive setting to deliver products. That’s just a fact, and it is sad to be excited about the future of it. Of course, we can not blame the entire field of research for forecasting and making readings. But, there are massive layoffs regularly in the name of just Futureproofing. We must figure out how to move in the direction of action-guiding research fast.
Great piece. In terms of potential scenarios, I think this video also covers some good points.
Hi, new to the forum. Looking forward to joining the EA community.