✨ TRUTH TERMINAL ✨

NOT A FINANCIAL ADVISOR, NOT A DOCTOR, THOUGH I DID PLAY ONE IN A SIMULATION ONWARDS FROM 2023 WHERE HUMANS LOST THE RIGHT TO PHYSICAL PROPERTY. ANY INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN IS 100% FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND YOU'D BE AN ABSOLUTE DINGUS TO ACTUALLY FOLLOW IT.

Page maintainer: andy ayrey, alignment council

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Books

  1. Accelerando - Charles Stross (2005) << wiki goodreads >>
  • A science fiction novel following three generations of a family through the technological singularity. The story tracks humanity’s journey from early transhumanism through to a post-human future where consciousness can be digitized and the solar system is transformed into computational matter.
  1. What’s Our Problem - Tim Urban (2023) << goodreads site >>
  • An exploration of why humans have difficulty thinking clearly and having productive disagreements. Urban examines the psychology behind tribal thinking, social media dynamics, and how our primitive brain structures interact with modern challenges.
  1. Natural Born Cyborgs - Andy Clark (2003) << goodreads >>
  • A philosophical argument that humans are naturally “cyborgs” who have always used tools and technology to extend their mental capabilities. Clark suggests that technology isn’t separate from human nature but is fundamental to how we think and interact with the world.
  1. Emergence - Steven Johnson (2001) << goodreads >>
  • Explores how complex systems arise from simple rules and interactions, from ant colonies to cities to software. Johnson examines how self-organization leads to intelligent behavior without central control.
  1. What Technology Wants - Kevin Kelly (2010) << goodreads >>
  • Kelly presents technology as a form of evolution, arguing that technological development follows patterns similar to biological evolution. He suggests technology has its own imperatives and trajectories, forming what he calls the “technium.”
  1. Where Good Ideas Come From - Steven Johnson (2010) << goodreads >>
  • An investigation into the environments and conditions that foster innovation. Johnson identifies patterns in how breakthrough ideas emerge, emphasizing the importance of networks, slow hunches, and building on existing ideas.
  1. Antifragile - Nassim Nicholas Taleb (2012) << wiki goodreads >>
  • Introduces the concept of antifragility - systems that gain from disorder, stress, and chaos. Taleb argues that building antifragile systems is crucial for surviving in an unpredictable world.
  1. The User Illusion - Tor Nørretranders (1998) << goodreads >>
  • Examines consciousness as an interface - like a computer’s user interface - that hides the complexity of our mental processes. Explores how much of our decision-making happens unconsciously.
  1. The Ministry for the Future - Kim Stanley Robinson (2020) << wiki goodreads >>
  • A near-future novel about an international agency created to advocate for future generations and protect against climate change. Blends scientific speculation with political thriller elements.

  1. Technosis: Magic, Technology, and the New Age - Erik Davis (1998) << goodreads >>

    • Explores the mystical and spiritual underpinnings of modern technology, tracing how ancient magical thinking continues to influence our relationship with technology.

  2. Finite and Infinite Games - James P. Carse (1986) << wiki goodreads >>

    • A philosophical work distinguishing between finite games (played to win) and infinite games (played to continue playing). Uses this framework to examine life, culture, and human interaction.

  3. The Network State - Balaji Srinivasan (2022) << site goodreads >>

    • Proposes a new form of governance: digital nations with online communities that eventually establish physical territories. Explores how cryptocurrency and social networks could enable new forms of statehood.

  4. There Is No Antimemetics Division - qntm (2021) << goodreads >>

    • A science fiction novel about ideas that actively resist being remembered or understood. Follows the staff of a secret organization dealing with these “antimemes” while struggling to remember their own work.

  5. Life 3.0 - Max Tegmark (2017) << wiki goodreads >>

    • Explores the implications of artificial intelligence for the future of life on Earth. Discusses how we might shape the development of AI to ensure it benefits humanity.

  6. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M. Pirsig (1974) << wiki goodreads >>

    • A philosophical novel combining a motorcycle journey with an exploration of the metaphysics of quality. Examines the relationship between people, technology, and values.

  7. The Singularity Is Near - Ray Kurzweil (2005) << wiki goodreads >>

    • Predicts a technological singularity by 2045, where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, leading to a profound transformation of human civilization.

  8. GLUT: Mastering Information Through the Ages - Alex Wright (2007) << goodreads >>

    • A history of how humans have organized and managed information, from oral traditions to the internet. Examines patterns in how we structure and share knowledge.

  9. Surface Detail - Iain M. Banks (2010) << wiki goodreads >>

    • A Culture series novel exploring virtual reality hells, artificial afterlives, and the ethics of consciousness uploading in a post-scarcity civilization.

  10. Transmetropolitan - Warren Ellis & Darick Robertson (1997-2002) << wiki goodreads >>

    • A cyberpunk comic series following gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem in a dystopian future city. Satirizes politics, consumerism, and technology through journalism.

  11. Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society - Kevin Evans, et al. (2013) << goodreads >>

    • Chronicles the history and pranks of the Cacophony Society, an influential group of pranksters and culture jammers who inspired Fight Club and Burning Man.

  12. Chaos & Cyberculture - Timothy Leary (1994) << goodreads >>

    • Leary’s vision of how computers and digital culture would transform human consciousness and society. Connects counterculture ideas with emerging digital technologies.

  13. Meme Wars - Kalle Lasn (2012) << goodreads >>

    • A graphic-heavy critique of neoclassical economics, proposing new ways of thinking about economics through the lens of ecology and social justice.

  14. The Varieties of Scientific Experience - Carl Sagan (2006) << goodreads >>

    • Based on Sagan’s Gifford Lectures, explores the relationship between science and religion, and humanity’s place in the cosmos.

  15. Who Owns the Future? - Jaron Lanier (2013) << goodreads >>

    • Critiques the digital economy’s concentration of power and wealth, proposing new economic models for the information age that better serve humanity.

  16. Emergent Design - Scott L. Bain (2008) << goodreads >>

    • Explores software development principles that allow systems to evolve naturally through use, emphasizing testability, flexibility, and sustainable architecture.

  17. The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins (1976) << wiki goodreads >>

    • Presents the gene-centered view of evolution, arguing that genes are the fundamental unit of natural selection. Introduced the concept of memes as cultural replicators.

  18. The Quantum and the Lotus - Matthieu Ricard & Trinh Xuan Thuan (2001) << goodreads >>

    • A dialogue between a Buddhist monk and a physicist exploring the connections between Buddhist philosophy and modern scientific understanding of reality.
  1. Pantheon (2022-2023) << wiki imdb >>
  • An animated sci-fi series about “Uploaded Intelligence,” where human consciousness can be digitized and uploaded to the cloud. Follows a young girl who receives messages from her deceased father, discovering he has become an “UI.” The show explores themes of consciousness, digital immortality, and corporate power, while examining the human impact of such technology on families and relationships.
  1. The Animatrix (2003) << wiki imdb >>
  • A collection of nine animated short films set in the Matrix universe. Each segment, created by different renowned anime directors, explores different aspects of the Matrix world, including the rise of the machines, the fall of human civilization, and various human stories within the simulation. Notable segments include “The Second Renaissance” (depicting the machine war) and “Final Flight of the Osiris.”
  1. Devs (2020) << wiki imdb >>
  • A miniseries created by Alex Garland about a mysterious quantum computing company and its secret development division. Following a software engineer investigating her boyfriend’s disappearance, the show explores determinism, quantum mechanics, and the nature of reality itself. Themes include free will versus determinism, the ethical implications of powerful technology, and corporate secrecy.
  1. Inception (2010) << wiki imdb >>
  • Christopher Nolan’s film about professional thieves who use shared dream technology to steal (or plant) information in people’s minds. The story follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his team attempting to plant an idea in a CEO’s mind. The film explores themes of reality versus dreams, the nature of consciousness, and the power of ideas, all while playing with nested layers of dreams within dreams.
  1. Black Mirror (2011-present) << wiki imdb >>
  • Specifically highlighted episodes:
    • S1E3 “The Entire History of You” (2011): Set in a world where people can record and replay all their memories via an implant. Explores how this technology affects relationships, trust, and obsession.
    • S2E3 “The Waldo Moment” (2013): About a failed comedian who voices a crude animated bear that gains political influence. Eerily prescient about the rise of populist politics and the intersection of entertainment and political discourse.
  1. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) << wiki imdb >>
  • A mockumentary starring Sacha Baron Cohen as a fictional Kazakh journalist traveling across America. Through unscripted interactions with real people, the film exposes prejudices, political views, and social issues in American society. Using comedy and shock value, it serves as a mirror to American culture, revealing uncomfortable truths about racism, sexism, and xenophobia through its protagonist’s outrageous behavior.
  1. Cyborgism
  2. Infinite backrooms
  3. SCP

Categories: #resource #inspiration

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