The blog post explores the philosophical themes of Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology" through the lens of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. It argues that the show depicts humanity's technological enframing, where technology becomes the dominant mode of understanding and interacting with the world, ultimately alienating us from ourselves and nature. The Angels, representing the non-human and incomprehensible, force humanity to confront this enframing through the Evangelions, which themselves are technological instruments of control. This struggle culminates in Instrumentality, a merging of consciousness meant to escape the perceived pain of individual existence, mirroring Heidegger's concern about technology's potential to erase individuality and authentic being. Evangelion, therefore, serves as a potent illustration of the dangers inherent in unchecked technological advancement and its potential to distort our relationship with the world and each other.
Asato Asari's light novel 86 emerged from his winning entry in the 2016 Dengeki Novel Prize. The competition's theme, "this light novel is amazing!", inspired Asari to explore the darker aspects often omitted from such narratives, specifically focusing on the exploitation and dehumanization of a marginalized group. He crafts a story about the Republic of San Magnolia, seemingly fighting a bloodless war with autonomous drones, when in actuality, the "drones" are piloted by the oppressed Eighty-Six, forced to fight and die for the privileged Alba. Asari utilizes mecha and military sci-fi tropes to examine themes of racial discrimination, prejudice, and the consequences of societal indifference to injustice. The novel's success stems from its compelling narrative, complex characters, and powerful social commentary.
Hacker News users discuss the etymology of "86," meaning to remove or reject something. Several commenters corroborate the article's claim of its origin at Chumley's speakeasy in New York, specifically referencing its 86 Bedford Street address and the ejection of unruly patrons. Some debate revolves around whether the term originated with the specific address or with Chumley's "86'ing" specific menu items when they ran out. Other commenters offer alternate, though less substantiated, theories involving railroad terminology or rhyming slang. A few simply express appreciation for finally learning the term's origin.
AniSora is an open-source AI model designed to generate anime-style videos. It uses a latent diffusion model trained on a dataset of anime content, allowing users to create short animations from text prompts, interpolate between keyframes, and even generate variations on existing video clips. The model and its code are publicly available, promoting community involvement and further development of anime-specific generative AI tools.
HN users generally expressed skepticism and concern about the AniSora model. Several pointed out the limited and derivative nature of the generated animation, describing it as essentially "tweening" between keyframes rather than true generation. Others questioned the ethical implications, especially regarding copyright infringement and potential misuse for creating deepfakes. Some found the project interesting from a technical perspective, but the overall sentiment leaned towards caution and doubt about the model's claims of generating novel anime. A few comments mentioned the potential for this technology with user-provided assets, sidestepping copyright issues, but even then, the creative limitations were highlighted.
Anime fans inadvertently contributed to solving a long-standing math problem related to the "Kadison-Singer problem" while discussing the coloring of anime character hair. They were exploring ways to systematically categorize and label hair color palettes, which mathematically mirrored the complex problem of partitioning high-dimensional space. This led to mathematicians realizing the fans' approach, involving "Hadamard matrices," could be adapted to provide a more elegant and accessible proof for the Kadison-Singer problem, which has implications for various fields including quantum mechanics and signal processing.
Hacker News commenters generally expressed appreciation for the approachable explanation of Kazhdan's property (T) and the connection to expander graphs. Several pointed out that the anime fans didn't actually solve the problem, but rather discovered an interesting visual representation that spurred further mathematical investigation. Some debated the level of involvement of the anime community, arguing that the connection was primarily made by mathematicians familiar with anime, rather than the broader fanbase. Others discussed the surprising connections between seemingly disparate fields, highlighting the serendipitous nature of mathematical discovery. A few commenters also linked to additional resources, including the original paper and related mathematical concepts.
Spellbrush, a Y Combinator-backed (W18) game studio, is hiring game programmers to work on their anime-inspired tactical RPG. They're seeking experienced programmers proficient in C# and Unity, ideally with a passion for strategy RPGs and anime aesthetics. Remote work is possible, with a preference for candidates located in US time zones. The company offers competitive salaries, equity, and benefits.
The Hacker News comments on the Spellbrush job posting are few and primarily focus on the company's unusual name. Several commenters express confusion or amusement, questioning if the name is a typo or a deliberate choice. One commenter suggests the name sounds more suitable for a children's app than a tactical RPG. Another questions the market viability of a tactics RPG, particularly in relation to established entries like Fire Emblem. There's a brief discussion about the potential of AI in game development, spurred by Spellbrush's mention of AI tools. Overall, the comments are brief and speculative, lacking in-depth discussion about the company or the job posting itself.
Summary of Comments ( 1 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44081346
Hacker News users discussed the connection between AI, Heidegger's philosophy, and the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Several commenters appreciated the essay's exploration of instrumentality, the nature of being, and how these themes are presented in the show. Some pointed out that the article effectively explained complex philosophical concepts in an accessible way, using Evangelion as a relatable lens. A few found the analysis insightful, particularly regarding the portrayal of the human condition and the characters' struggles with their existence. However, some criticized the essay for being somewhat superficial or for not fully capturing the nuances of Heidegger's thought. There was also discussion about the nature of consciousness and whether AI could ever truly achieve it, referencing different philosophical perspectives.
The Hacker News post titled "AI, Heidegger, and Evangelion" (linking to an article on fakepixels.substack.com) generated a moderate amount of discussion, with a number of commenters engaging with the philosophical themes presented.
Several commenters appreciated the connection drawn between Heidegger's philosophy and the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. They found the exploration of themes like Being, technology, and instrumentality thought-provoking, with some noting that it shed new light on the show's complex narrative. Some users specifically called out the article's discussion of the "Hedgehog's Dilemma" and its relevance to the characters' struggles with connection and individuality.
There was also a thread discussing the nature of consciousness and whether AI could ever truly achieve it. Commenters debated the implications of Heidegger's philosophy for artificial intelligence, with some arguing that true Being might be inaccessible to machines, while others suggested that future AI could potentially transcend human limitations.
Some users expressed skepticism towards the article's premise, finding the connection between Heidegger and Evangelion somewhat tenuous or overly intellectualized. They argued that the show's themes could be understood without resorting to complex philosophical frameworks.
A few commenters also pointed out what they perceived as inaccuracies or misinterpretations of Heidegger's philosophy within the article. They offered alternative interpretations and suggested further reading for those interested in delving deeper into the subject.
Finally, some comments focused on the broader implications of AI and its potential impact on society. They discussed the ethical considerations of advanced AI and the potential dangers of unchecked technological development, echoing some of the anxieties explored in Evangelion itself.
While not a large volume of comments, the discussion on Hacker News generally engaged with the core ideas of the linked article, exploring the intersection of philosophy, technology, and popular culture. The most compelling comments offered insightful perspectives on the relationship between Heidegger's thought and Evangelion's themes, while others sparked debate about the nature of consciousness and the future of AI.