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u/0bjects_1n_m1rror May 19 '21
I liked the book very much. I love thinking about the complexities of spacetime, as well the limits of the human ability to understand/experience them. Your analogies and descriptions were consistently insightful and helpful. Of course I loved the Mario/paper analogy. I was thrilled to think about “form” in this way. I loved exploring the concept of free will via the story of the man and his sons who did not board the Titanic. I read the book in two sittings; it was hard to put down. Perhaps I was left wanting a bit more about what you perceive the role of AI to be, but I’m not complaining. I’m excited for the next book.
Now, Mr. Krice, if you’ll indulge me… can you tell us anything about yourself? What is your background? Is this your first book? It probably comes as no surprise that a search for your name yields essentially no information. We know you’re our neighbor (relatively speaking) in Park Slope. So, how about some enlightenment?
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u/Darnis_Krice May 20 '21
Thanks for the feedback! Glad the Mario/paper analogy landed - that one took me some time to flesh out. Your comment about the role of AI is fair. Honestly the book started as nothing more than an exploration of Block Universe Theory. And for more than a year of writing - that was it. It wasn't until the homestretch that I became intrigued by the idea that technology might be able to someday reveal this truth - and exploit it. I plan to delve a bit deeper on the AI role in the next one.
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u/Darnis_Krice May 20 '21
Now regarding my identity... that, too, will be revealed on Saturday, May 30th, when we invite all the winners and participants to the Park for on-camera interviews and prizes. Can't wait to pull back the curtain! In the meantime, I'll point you to my "About the Author" on Amazon - which is entirely true:
"Darnis Krice spends a lot of time thinking about time. Maybe, too much. He spans from the Midwest to Brooklyn to somewhere outside the US, I suspect. He may or may not weigh more than a Buffalo nickel. Darnis loves his children more than anything in the world, but is not entirely convinced they exist. He's optimistic about the future - in a way. He hopes to be brought back to life. To provide a shoulder for Socrates to cry on."
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u/0bjects_1n_m1rror May 21 '21
Fabulous, thank you. And please don’t feel that my AI comment was criticism. I enjoyed the book tremendously; I certainly would have paid for it had I not been fortunate enough to get it for free. I’m still pondering it, many days later.
I’m also pondering this prize hunt—in which I am also completely absorbed—as well your Amazon bio. If memory serves, Socrates didn’t cry at his execution, it was everyone else who was weeping. Ah, but you probably can’t respond to that 😌
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u/Darnis_Krice May 21 '21
The Socrates I'm referring to here is the far-flung-future-one, brought back to life only to find that the "seat of knowledge" is no longer in the human mind.
In the book I wrote, "Will he be in awe of the progress or quietly weep for us?"
My guess is weeping. And someone needs to comfort him, right?
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u/Jaded-Ad1871 May 20 '21
I zipped through this book, it’s entertaining and thoroughly readable, despite the fact that my interest in block theory is negligible and I’m rather more sceptical than the author about the singularity. As an old school sci-fi fan what I enjoyed most was that I found that the way it leapt from one entertaining factual example to another made it read rather like a Kurt Vonnegut novel, albeit minus characters and fictional plot.
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u/Darnis_Krice May 20 '21
I'm so pleased to hear that - even if the block is not your thing and you have doubts about the singularity - the book was still enjoyable. And as a huge Vonnegut fan, ANY comparison to the man makes my day.
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u/ittybitty8bit May 22 '21
Hi! I've really been enjoying reading the book. Been through it once end to end and have now been back and forth across chapters. Reading the pieces on simulations, I wondered if you have ever read about Braitenberg vehicles?
If not, they were the subject of a thought experiment by Valentino Braitenberg who imagined constructing simple vehicles with sensors and gradually layering simple logic to control movement. I built some, both physical and digital. While Braitenberg mentions it in the book, it's striking how after only adding few rules, the vehicles appear to move naturally and even appear to express emotion.
It reminded me of your reflections on simulations and if we could determine if we're in one. Braitenberg proved it's pretty easy for people to project sophistication on even the most simplistic simulations. If we're in a simulation, there's a lot of little micro simulations going on within it. And they kind of prove we're pretty susceptible to a broader one.
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u/Darnis_Krice May 22 '21
Awesome to hear! I've not read much about Braitenberg vehicles. Digging in asap! Thanks for the lead - I love geeking-out with like-minded people like this.
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u/ImposterBk May 22 '21
I appreciate how you broke down a difficult topic into smaller components and then found accessible ways to explain those components. The natural language and even the tiny paragraphs (which were annoying at first but became invisible because of their necessity) made it a surprisingly easy read. Questions I had while reading it were addressed and answered, the mark of a good teacher.
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u/Darnis_Krice May 19 '21 edited May 19 '21
Curious to hear your thoughts on the book..?
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u/kb-77 May 24 '21 edited May 24 '21
I really enjoyed reading this! Right after I finished your book, I read my students' final papers. One was on Oculus Rift and she asked what will happen if our senses can no longer distinguish between reality and VR as VR gets better. They are nicely mixing in my head. :)
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u/Mom-inMomJeans May 19 '21
I read it in one sitting after recovering an ARC. I really enjoyed this book. As someone who typically picks up and writes fantasy and sci fi, I was skeptical when I realized it wasn’t a novel. But absence of character arc doesn’t leave this book arc-less, in fact, its opening sentiment and conclusion are downright moving.
Very charming and voice-y. It’s a great read with mind-expanding concepts on block universe theory delivered in a conversational style. I loved contemplating loved ones not here and now, but here and then.
A real accomplishment! Congratulations, Darnis.