This seems like an ad hominem? "He has weird kinks, therefore his theories are incorrect." Should we investigate the sex lives of every Nobel Prize winner to figure out which prizes need to be rescinded?
Americans may not be familiar with many similar organizations in the world but this is very common. But I'm sure we're all familiar with Epstein's organization.
When there is free sex, you are the product.
Such cults are mostly religious but since it's in SV and targets engineers, this one is secular. They seem to intellectually brainwash and control people and their careers. Typical cult leader is a charismatic self-taught, self-acclaimed "intellectual" lacking a proper education or a real career. A nobody suddenly becomes "the most important person" on Earth. Powerful public figures can't stop praising him, saying things like he should have a Nobel prize etc. All very typical and apply to this cult as well.
https://owl.excelsior.edu/argument-and-critical-thinking/log...
You're welcome to dislike or distrust Effective Altruism (EA). But, it's worth noting that EA ran a criticism contest with $100K in prizes for best critiques. Can you name any other "cults" which offer money for people to criticize their ideas? https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/YgbpxJmEdFhFGpqci/...
For your question: Yes. Cults have lots of money coming from unknown sources. They use their budget for events like that, to attract potential followers. Contests and prizes are typical. Critiques are not important since their "ideas" are not really important. They're not even real ideas, they are means to bait specific kind of people.
>This is also NOT ad hominem because conflict of interest matters here.
As PG put it:
>An ad hominem attack is not quite as weak as mere name-calling. It might actually carry some weight. For example, if a senator wrote an article saying senators' salaries should be increased, one could respond:
>Of course he would say that. He's a senator.
>This wouldn't refute the author's argument, but it may at least be relevant to the case. It's still a very weak form of disagreement, though. If there's something wrong with the senator's argument, you should say what it is; and if there isn't, what difference does it make that he's a senator?
https://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html
Can you name a specific other "cult" which offers $$$ to criticize their ideas?
If such prizes don't count as evidence against culthood, what would?
This cult talk seems quasi-unfalsifiable. It kinda seems like "running events" and "having prizes" means you must be "bait"ing people?? I mean, this kinda just sounds like paranoia?? I don't think the money is coming from unknown sources, but I doubt you would change your mind even if I persuaded you of that point?
To be fair, I don't know if any of this applies to the parent story; I'm just replying to the sub-thread.
https://lexfridman.com/andrew-scull-transcript#the-ice-pick-...