114 karma · joined January 18, 2017
The use of "variable" to denote an "unknown" is a very old practice that predates computers and programming languages.
Compare something like
equals(integral(divide(exponentiate(negate(divide(square(var),2))),sqrt(multiply(2,constant_pi))),var,negate(infinity),infinity),1)
vs
$$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}\frac{e^{-x^2/2}}{\sqrt{2\pi}}dx = 1$$
(imagine the actual generated mathematical formula here :-/ )
it is infinitely easier to grok what is going on using symbolic notation after a minimal amount of learning.
I think it is quite evident that the modern far-right movement in the US (including those in power today) can be characterized as fascist.
"The cult of tradition," characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction. When all truth has already been revealed by tradition, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement.
"The rejection of modernism," which views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. Eco distinguishes this from a rejection of superficial technological advancement, as many fascist regimes cite their industrial potency as proof of the vitality of their system.
"The cult of action for action's sake," which dictates that action is of value in itself and should be taken without intellectual reflection. This, says Eco, is connected with anti-intellectualism and irrationalism, and often manifests in attacks on modern culture and science.
"Disagreement is treason" – fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical reasoning as barriers to action, as well as out of fear that such analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith.
"Fear of difference," which fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate, often in the form of racism or an appeal against foreigners and immigrants.
"Appeal to a frustrated middle class," fearing economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of lower social groups. "Obsession with a plot" and the hyping-up of an enemy threat. This often combines an appeal to xenophobia with a fear of disloyalty and sabotage from marginalized groups living within the society. Eco also cites Pat Robertson's book The New World Order as a prominent example of a plot obsession. Fascist societies rhetorically cast their enemies as "at the same time too strong and too weak." On the one hand, fascists play up the power of certain disfavored elites to encourage in their followers a sense of grievance and humiliation. On the other hand, fascist leaders point to the decadence of those elites as proof of their ultimate feebleness in the face of an overwhelming popular will.
"Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy" because "life is permanent warfare" – there must always be an enemy to fight. Both fascist Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini worked first to organize and clean up their respective countries and then build the war machines that they later intended to and did use, despite Germany being under restrictions of the Versailles treaty to not build a military force. This principle leads to a fundamental contradiction within fascism: the incompatibility of ultimate triumph with perpetual war.
"Contempt for the weak," which is uncomfortably married to a chauvinistic popular elitism, in which every member of society is superior to outsiders by virtue of belonging to the in-group. Eco sees in these attitudes the root of a deep tension in the fundamentally hierarchical structure of fascist polities, as they encourage leaders to despise their underlings, up to the ultimate leader, who holds the whole country in contempt for having allowed him to overtake it by force.
"Everybody is educated to become a hero," which leads to the embrace of a cult of death. As Eco observes, "[t]he Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death."
"Machismo," which sublimates the difficult work of permanent war and heroism into the sexual sphere. Fascists thus hold "both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality."
"Selective populism" – the people, conceived monolithically, have a common will, distinct from and superior to the viewpoint of any individual. As no mass of people can ever be truly unanimous, the leader holds himself out as the interpreter of the popular will (though truly he alone dictates it). Fascists use this concept to delegitimize democratic institutions they accuse of "no longer represent[ing] the voice of the people".
"Newspeak" – fascism employs and promotes an impoverished vocabulary in order to limit critical reasoning.
If you actually believe this nonsense, I pity you.
Russia consistently and deliberately targets civilians. There is no "both sides" here.
A lot of set-theory research is looking into the consequences of various axiomatic assumptions.
Commutative: A+B = B+A Associative: A+(B+C) = (A+B)+C
And it is absurd to claim that Russia wants peace. It can literally have peace anytime it wants by simply pulling its troops out of Ukrainian territory and ceasing the launching of missiles and drones on the populace.
The US threats on Canada and Greenland are not made with "peace" in mind.
It was a great language and IDE for a young self-taught programmer.
"root of all evil" or "root of all evils" would seem to be more precise translations than "root of all kinds of evils".
The Russian Synodal bible gives: ибо корень всех зол есть сребролюбие which would translate to "root of all evils"
Note that Games do _not_ form a field: there is no general multiplication operation between arbitrary games.
Do you really think that Ancient Egyptians didn't have a simple declarative statement that "the sun rises"?
Don't fall into exoticism. Ancient Egyptians were human beings speaking language for the purposes of communication in their day-to-day life, just like we do.
That being said, it definitely could be interesting to see how LLMs would work when trained on different language corpuses and other cultural contexts.
Also, people do play crazy games these days, look up "monster wargames". For example "Advanced European Theater of Operations" has 2200 pieces played on 2 poster-sized maps...
https://www.amazon.com/Basic-Color-Terms-Universality-Evolut...
(Noting that different languages do have differing numbers of basic color terms.)