[ExI] My review of Eliezer Yudkowsky's new book (UBI)

[John Clark]

On Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 2:15 PM <spike at rainier66.com> wrote:

*>>…How do you feel about the fact that one of LIGO's two gravitational
>> wave observatories… is going to have to be shut down permanently? Will this
>> really make America great again?*
>
>
>  *> No.  I am a huge fan of LIGO and will be sorry to see it go.  *
>

*It makes me mad. Why doesn't it make you mad? The LIGO budget was reduced
from $48 million to $29 million and 19 million is a rounding error when it
comes to the national debt, but it's enough to cripple one of the most
productive scientific instruments on planet earth. *

* >If we can’t balance the federal budget somehow, the other LIGO
> observatory will soon shut down as well.*


*Soon? Spike for well over a decade you've been saying we're on the verge
of an economic apocalypse, and yet here we are. I don't know about you but
I'm not living in a Mad Max world. *

*>> …Oh well, we can at least take comfort in one thing, despite the
>> shutdown the $300 million renovation of the White House ballroom will
>> continue on schedule without interruption.  *
>
>
> *> It sure will!  But why?  Because that 300 million dollar ballroom is
> not dependent on federal funding.*


*But the refurbishing of the 747 that Qutar gave to He Who Must Not Be
Named library is dependent on government funding, and will cost at least
$400 million, some estimates go as high as 1 billion. The refurbishing is
necessary because they have to take the plane apart and examine every peace
to make sure Qutar didn't hide any bugs in it, and to install top secret
security and communication devices. The refurbishing should be finished
about the time He Who Must Not Be Named leaves office on January 20, 2030,
after that date, despite the American people having paid for it, the next
president will NOT be able to use it but He Who Must Not Be Named will
still be able to use it for as long as he likes. *

*But nowhere in the budget could they find $19 million to keep LIGO
operational. *

*John K Clark*
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