There will be a Michigan rationalist/LW/SSC meetup at Pizza House (618 Church Street, Ann Arbor) on Tuesday, April 14 at 8 PM.
If you’re reading this and can make it to Ann Arbor, you’re invited.
Our special guest will be Scott Aaronson, MIT professor and quantum computing expert.
The Center for Applied Rationality conducts workshops which use cognitive science to teach people to achieve their goals more effectively. You can find a self-assessment of some of their results here.
Qualia builds software for the title and escrow industry, which we chose to maximize our comparative advantage and capitalize on information inefficiency. We're growing fast and are looking for full-stack engineers and quantitative operations hires. Email jobs@qualia.com for more information.
80,000 Hours is a group that helps people interested in helping the world decide on a career path. Their new (free) book provides evidence-based advice for how to find and make the most out of an altruistic career.
MealSquares is a "nutritionally complete" food that contains a balanced diet worth of nutrients in a few tasty easily measurable units. Think Soylent, except zero preparation, made with natural ingredients, and looks/tastes a lot like an ordinary scone.
Beeminder's an evidence-based willpower augmention tool that collects quantifiable data about your life, then helps you organize it into commitment mechanisms so you can keep resolutions. They've also got a blog about what they're doing here
Giving What We Can is a charitable movement promoting giving some of your money to the developing world or other worthy causes. If you're interested in this, consider taking their Pledge as a formal and public declaration of intent.
Triplebyte is building an objective and empirically validated software engineering recruitment process. We don’t look at resumes, we just look at whether you can code. We’ve had great success helping Slate Star Codex readers get jobs in the past. We invite you to test your skills and try our process!
The Effective Altruism newsletter provides monthly updates on the highest-impact ways to do good and help others.
Hi-Phi Nation is the first story-driven podcast about contemporary philosophy, where each we bring philosophy out of stories of ordinary and extraordinary human experiences. Season 1 is airing now.
Support this blog by donating through Patreon.
Count me in!
I wish to signal my extreme envy at this.
Agreed. I sometimes wonder how crazy it would be to make a trip to Michigan for the sole purpose of going to an SSC meetup. It’s not even that far from Toronto, really. But I don’t know what I would say to my friends and family. “So like, there’s this blogger that I hero-worship…”
I seriously considered crossing time zones for the HPMOR wrap party. You are in equally crazy company, for what that’s worth.
Concurred. As someone living in Germany, I wish there wasn’t a huge pond in the way.
As someone living in Australia, I echo your sentiments. If I’m ever in America when one of these meetups is taking place, you’d better believe I’ll be making plans.
Tell them that you’re going to a quantum computing lecture at the university.
I’m actually seriously considering going at this point. The lure of two Scott A’s is almost too much to resist. Plus, this seems exactly like one of those “step outside your comfort zone” things that I always say I should do.
Questions for anyone in the area:
1. Is there a relatively straightforward way to get from Detroit to Ann Arbour? (bus or whatever?) It looks like Toronto to Detroit is easy.
2. Would anyone be willing to host a poor grad student on their couch/floor for a night? I don’t snore or sleepwalk or anything.
I live in Ann Arbor (about 2.5 miles from Pizza House) and have spare bedrooms available. (Specifically, one room with a fold out couch and one room with two twin beds.)
There wouldn’t be a lot of social opportunity — I’ll go to bed not too long after I get home, and I will be leaving by 8 AM or so in the morning. I have a wife and a 3 year old daughter; the 3 year old will be asleep by time we got here and we’ll all be leaving early in the morning.
The house is also covered in cat fur — not recommended for those with allergies.
For more details, email (ROT13) fcrlreqnivq@tznvy.pbz
I would usually be up to host you, but my house was recently flooded and Arundelo is hosting *me*. Next time, though.
There’s a train from Detroit to Ann Arbor, and a bus too. No guarantees on how convenient the schedule is, or the station locations – I’ve never been to Michigan myself.
(Nice idea to ROT-13 your email address, by the way. I’ll keep that in mind myself.)
Regarding buses, I think the only bus (excluding one that won’t be helpful here) is Greyhound. So, if you are looking specifically for a bus, don’t waste your time looking for some other bus! (Unless I am wrong about this?)
(Megabus doesn’t go between Ann Arbor and Detroit, despite stopping at both. Michigan Flyer goes between Ann Arbor and the Detroit airport, but the Detroit airport is not Detroit — unless you have some other way of getting to the airport first, of course. And the University of Michigan has a bus, the Detroit Center Connector, that goes between Ann Arbor and Detroit, but it’s only on weekends, is at inconvenient times, and is only for people affiliated with the university.)
If anyone still needs to crash for the night, the futon in my living room is free. (I am arundelo.) My email address is a
hotmail.comone, the first part of which is “arundelo“.Looks like I’ll be there! The greyhound schedule is pretty inconvenient though, I have to arrive in the morning and I’ll probably just want to sleep at that point, so I ended up booking a hotel room. Thank you all so much for the kind offers, though.
I’m looking forward to it very much. Can’t wait to meet you all!
Hi thepenforests,
I could give you a ride from Detroit to Ann Arbor on Tuesday if you plan to be available in Detroit (or Detroit airport?) sometime within approximately 4:15-5:30 pm. I work near Detroit and live in Ann Arbor. Call me at (ROT5) 289-232-3054 if this sounds good. Leave a message and I’ll get it at lunch or at end of work-day, since there’s no cell service in my workplace.
Paul Torek: thanks for the offer! It turns out I can just take the greyhound directly to Ann Arbor, which keeps things nice and simple (my main priority for a trip like this). I really appreciate the generosity though.
I am scheduled to participate in a forum on local elections that evening from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Avenue.
However, as soon as that is done, I will hasten over to Pizza House (about 8/10 mile away), and probably arrive before 9:00 pm.
Although this is my first post, I happen to live in Ann Arbor. I’ll try to make it if I can.
Confirmed I’ll be there
This is one of those rare occasions where I regret not living in Michigan or some place close. 🙁
I so wanted to go, but my schedule won’t let me. I can only wish for the next meet ups, I’d be able to join! Enjoy everyone!
I am in!
How hard would it be for Scott Adams to also attend?
Come well and eat hearty,
at this rational party,
At Pizza House on Tuesday.
The doctor,
the instructor,
and the comic constructor,
All are named Scott A!
I like it 🙂
If I want to make the 3 and a half hour drive from Chicago, does anyone have a couch I can sleep on, so I can drive back the next morning?
I’m also considering a drive from Chicago and might be up for splitting gas and/or a hotel room and/or taking someone up on a bed/couch/floor offer.
Confirmed, 3-5 people from Chicago via rental car. Party on.
(“A person” – we’re leaving at 2:30 from Union Station and planning on being back by 10am-ish the next day. There’s two seats still available but they might go fast. You could get in touch with me using the form at the bottom of this page if you’re interested in riding with us.
https://meditationstuff.wordpress.com/consulting/
)
I’d half a mind to show up and pretend to be a feminist protestor, but the poor guy’s been through too much.
I attend feminist club meetings and have gone to a political rally ;). However, it was for a local water-conservation measure and I mostly went because it was near my house and my friends were there. Also, I can’t go to Michigan for a rationalist meetup.
For what it’s worth, I’m just going to be kicking around Ann Arbor later this afternoon/this evening before the meetup. So if anyone is bored and wants to get together to hang out pre-meetup, I’d be down.
My schedule opens up after about 2:00 pm. You can reach me at gmail with my surname.
That was great! thepenforests, I’m glad you could make it. Pietro, thanks for providing those appetizers. Scott Aaronson, thanks for explaining your arrow of time stuff so that even I could (mostly) understand it.
Had a fantastic time! Sadly I didn’t end up talking to Scott Aaronson at all, but definitely enjoyed casually conversing with individuals admittedly far more educated than I am. Hope to see some of you again soon. Also, thanks for the appetizers Pietro, they were fantastic.
I had a fantastic time as well! So glad I came. Many thanks to Larry Kestenbaum for meeting me early, Scott Aaronson for letting me pick his brain, and everyone in general for being so welcoming! Lot’s of interesting conversations all around. Don’t know if I’ll make a habit of attending these meetups, but if any of you are in Toronto in the future and want to meet up/need a place to crash, feel free to drop me a line.
Adding another “Thank you Pietro”. 😀