‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

We're gonna need a lot more mathematicians

407 points · 504 comments · srcreigh

  1. metalspot · · focus · HN ↗
    There is a failure to understand that the process is the result. You don't study mathematics or computer science and information theory to produce commodities. You study them to transform your mind. The output of an LLM is useless without a human mind to comprehend it. We can have Super Intelligence, but if humans are incapable of comprehending it, it is just another useless dead artifact. Practice, applied over a lifetime, is what creates the capability for comprehension. Asking an LLM to give you an answer creates an artifact. Humans being humans, most of their requests boil down to "make me rich without having to work for it," so the request itself is paradoxical and impossible to satisfy. Philosophers have only been saying this for all of human history, so don't hold your breath for any breakthroughs.
    1. Invictus0 · · focus · HN ↗
      > There is a failure to understand that the process is the result

      I'm glad to hear people say this now, because for the longest time they've also been bullshitting the public to think that pure math studies would someday lead to some kind of useful outcome.

      "transforming the mind" is an exercise in ego-driven self-gratification, no different than getting ten degrees and never getting a job, nor any different than straight up porn or gambling. You have been put on earth to contribute to the progress of humanity, so get dirty and start making commodities. no more useless math-monks.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.