This is a special post for quick takes by Kevin Ulug. Only they can create top-level comments. Comments here also appear on the Quick Takes page and All Posts page.
The EA subreddit is getting more participation from critics and/or people understandably upset about FTX. This is resulting in some low quality posts hitting the frontpage of the subreddit, since it's so small and not very active.
The topics of working for an EA org and altruist careers are discussed occasionally in our local group.
I wanted to share my rough thoughts and some relevant forum posts that I've compiled in this google doc. The main thesis is that it's really difficult to get a job at an EA org, as far as I know, and most people will have messier career paths.
Some of the posts I link in the doc, specifically around alternate career paths:
Today I learned about Simpol, an org working on solving global coordination problems: https://simpol.org
Their approach is to encourage governments to work together to enact "simultaneous policy" across multiple issues to take action while avoiding first-mover challenges or a race to the bottom. By negotiating across multiple issues, concessions can be made to entities that might lose out in some areas in order to keep the entire negotiation net-positive for all.
So far my learning has been from this podcast episode, although it took a while to really explain the not-very-complex solution. https://www.jimruttshow.com/john-bunzl/
Long term-ist book that I missed: "The Good Ancestor: How To Think Long Term in a Short-Term World" by Roman Krznaric, released in October 2020. (The US version has a different subtitle.)
I just started listening to the audiobook. I'm about 8 minutes in and he's already mentioning existential risk from AI and pandemics. In the next lines he mentions Bostrom and alludes to Ord. He draws a parallel between colonialism's disregard for indigenous populations and the practice of ignoring future people.
Edit: after the intro we start to veer away from EA and talk about e.g. extinction rebellion as role models. Talking about a 100+ year horizon as being long term thinking.
It's probably best to open one tab, do the CAPTCHA, and then open the rest of the tabs so you don't have to repeat the CAPTCHA. (Credit to Michael; I have no idea how to link to users.)
A new-to-me take on the Amazon. Claims deforestation would lead to changing rain patterns "from Argentina up to the American midwest", "which means that Amazon dieback would disrupt/destroy water and food supplies across much of the western hemisphere". The article talks about the state of journalism, climate strategy, and climate science.
The EA subreddit is getting more participation from critics and/or people understandably upset about FTX. This is resulting in some low quality posts hitting the frontpage of the subreddit, since it's so small and not very active.
We could still use more short, casual videos to win tens of thousands of dollars for effective charities! See Project for Awesome 2023: Make a short video for an EA charity!
The topics of working for an EA org and altruist careers are discussed occasionally in our local group.
I wanted to share my rough thoughts and some relevant forum posts that I've compiled in this google doc. The main thesis is that it's really difficult to get a job at an EA org, as far as I know, and most people will have messier career paths.
Some of the posts I link in the doc, specifically around alternate career paths:
The career and the community
Consider a wider range of jobs, paths and problems if you want to improve the long-term future
My current impressions on career choice for longtermists
Get $50 to donate to charity at 2pm EST/11am PST (Nov 18) at the following url: https://www.tisbest.org/redefinegifting/
Thanks, Kevin! The gift cards may potentially not run out for a few more hours, so I made a post to try to get it more visibility: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/68drEr2nfLhcJ3mTD/free-usd50-charity-gift-card-giveaway-happening-now
Today I learned about Simpol, an org working on solving global coordination problems: https://simpol.org
Their approach is to encourage governments to work together to enact "simultaneous policy" across multiple issues to take action while avoiding first-mover challenges or a race to the bottom. By negotiating across multiple issues, concessions can be made to entities that might lose out in some areas in order to keep the entire negotiation net-positive for all.
So far my learning has been from this podcast episode, although it took a while to really explain the not-very-complex solution. https://www.jimruttshow.com/john-bunzl/
Long term-ist book that I missed: "The Good Ancestor: How To Think Long Term in a Short-Term World" by Roman Krznaric, released in October 2020. (The US version has a different subtitle.)
And the TED Talk
I just started listening to the audiobook. I'm about 8 minutes in and he's already mentioning existential risk from AI and pandemics. In the next lines he mentions Bostrom and alludes to Ord. He draws a parallel between colonialism's disregard for indigenous populations and the practice of ignoring future people.
Edit: after the intro we start to veer away from EA and talk about e.g. extinction rebellion as role models. Talking about a 100+ year horizon as being long term thinking.
Searching on this forum, I can see that I missed references to it in https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/znaZXBY59Ln9SLrne/how-to-think-about-an-uncertain-future-lessons-from-other and https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/ySwarSKFzxKLhCyo8/introduction-to-longtermism
You can now vote in Project 4 Awesome to help EA charities win grants of, judging by past years, $25,000 USD.
You can vote for each video for each charity, and each vote counts. Click on the thumbnail to access the voting page for each video.
GFI: http://projectforawesome.com/?charity=r0qlq6nE
AMF: http://projectforawesome.com/?charity=IFzDtIVb
Give Directly: http://projectforawesome.com/?charity=2rRk4r7S
Clean Air Taskforce: http://www.projectforawesome.com/?charity=YBH2SiFJ
It's probably best to open one tab, do the CAPTCHA, and then open the rest of the tabs so you don't have to repeat the CAPTCHA. (Credit to Michael; I have no idea how to link to users.)
I just voted for the GFI, AMF, and GD videos because of your comment!
NPR ask for personal messages from people involved in their local EA communities to play during a live interview with William MacAskill: https://www.reddit.com/r/EffectiveAltruism/comments/wq1nlm/help_with_upcoming_npr_interview_with_william/
A new-to-me take on the Amazon. Claims deforestation would lead to changing rain patterns "from Argentina up to the American midwest", "which means that Amazon dieback would disrupt/destroy water and food supplies across much of the western hemisphere". The article talks about the state of journalism, climate strategy, and climate science.
https://savingjournalism.substack.com/p/revisiting-the-amazon-fires