Post #1811220

2026-04-30 13:26 UTC

Every now and then someone brings up #EffectiveAltruism, #TESCREAL, #RokosBasilisk, #Rationalism, or some other #Musk related nonsense. I ridicule it, or laugh, and move on. The whole evil god of Roko's Basilisk is so silly it doesn't feel worth writing about. But people started a whole cult over it and killed a bunch of people. Since then I've been meaning to actually spend time tearing it down. So I think it's time to go kill a god. Fortunately it involves making fun of Elon Musk specifically and all the #AI-pilled #TechBros more generally, so that's nice I guess. Also, I make the argument that we're all in a simulation that only exists to torture Elon Musk. https://hexmhell.writeas.com/galileos-basilisk #NoAI #Singularity #longtermism #Yudkowsky #Zizians

Replies (9)

@Hex@kolektiva.social 2026-04-30 13:32

For anyone curious about the meme but without the time or patience to read ~5k words right this moment...

Open ##2050016
@Hex@kolektiva.social 2026-04-30 13:36

And yeah... this is unfortunately still relevant and continues to be. https://www.bennjordan.com/blog/the-altruists-have-arrived

Open ##2050017
@Hex@kolektiva.social 2026-04-30 13:43

It's also probably worth noting that I stole the idea of Comrade Basilisk from some other conversation long ago. If anyone recognizes it (especially if it's yours), please claim it (and link if possible) so I can give credit where credit is due. Otherwise, it's the people's meme now.

Open ##2050018
@Hex@kolektiva.social 2026-04-30 15:42

I did say that in that essay that I wouldn't go off on the Zizian tangent, but like... I gotta for just a moment... edit: wrong link, but that other one is funny too. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-one-the-zizians-how-harry-269931896/

Open ##2050019
@november@app.wafrn.net 2026-04-30 14:48

@Hex@kolektiva.social One of Galilei's numerous scientific opponents[…] attempted to explain away the apparent contradiction between the old theory and the new observations by the ingenious suggestion that the apparent valleys in the moon were in reality filled with some invisible crystalline material, so that the moon was in fact perfectly spherical. To this Galilei replied that the idea was so excellent that he wished to extend its application, and accordingly maintained that the moon had on it mountains of this same invisible substance, at least ten times as high as any which he had observed. that is so fucking funny

Open ##2050023
@anyia@lgbtqia.space 2026-04-30 15:27

@Hex what I never understood even the first time I heard of Roko's a great many years ago, is how anyone could take it serious. Let alone go along with it. Even on the assumption that it was real, it would make it an evil deity as far as I'm concerned, and grounds for going SG1 on it.

Open ##2050025
@corbden@defcon.social 2026-04-30 15:46

@Hex @darkphoenix 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Open ##2050029
@ASprinkleofSage@mastodon.social 2026-04-30 16:06

@Hex ok, so if I have this right, Galileo's basilisk behaves like that because he's just a poor boy from a poor family?

Open ##2050030
@erwinrossen@mas.to 2026-04-30 17:08

Worth distinguishing the #EffectiveAltruism most of us actually practice, donating 10% of income to wherever it does the most good (global health, animal welfare, climate funds), from the TESCREAL / Roko's Basilisk / longtermist AI cult that keeps getting bundled with it. Very different communities with very different goals. 👉 https://www.givingwhatwecan.org

Open ##2050032