<![CDATA[Online Degrees and CLEP and DSST Exam Prep Discussion - Off Topic]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/ Sun, 25 Oct 2026 14:29:58 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Anthropic just banned REA “Reverse Engineer Anything”]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Anthropic-just-banned-REA-%E2%80%9CReverse-Engineer-Anything%E2%80%9D Sun, 25 Oct 2026 01:28:32 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Anthropic-just-banned-REA-%E2%80%9CReverse-Engineer-Anything%E2%80%9D

Who's next?]]>

Who's next?]]> <![CDATA[Someone has gone their entire life without seeing a one point safety until now]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Someone-has-gone-their-entire-life-without-seeing-a-one-point-safety-until-now Sun, 25 Oct 2026 01:17:12 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Someone-has-gone-their-entire-life-without-seeing-a-one-point-safety-until-now https://x.com/CFBVault/status/2113737475936125342]]> https://x.com/CFBVault/status/2113737475936125342]]> <![CDATA[COD MW4: What happens to you in North Korea if you don't follow orders]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-COD-MW4-What-happens-to-you-in-North-Korea-if-you-don-t-follow-orders Sun, 25 Oct 2026 00:43:20 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-COD-MW4-What-happens-to-you-in-North-Korea-if-you-don-t-follow-orders
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]]> <![CDATA[AI agents accessing bank accounts without approval, report says]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-AI-agents-accessing-bank-accounts-without-approval-report-says Fri, 23 Oct 2026 20:53:07 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-AI-agents-accessing-bank-accounts-without-approval-report-says


Some people argue that the solution to this problem is simply to "slow down," much like the Prisoner's Dilemma. 

The Prisoner's Dilemma: Why the AI Arms Race Is So Difficult to Stop

The Prisoner's Dilemma is a foundational concept in game theory that explains why two completely rational sides might fail to cooperate, even when cooperation would benefit both of them.

It captures the trap of the AI arms race: both sides may recognize that a reckless race is dangerous, but the fear of being left behind gives each an incentive to keep competing.

The Classic Scenario

Imagine the police arrest two suspects (Player A and Player B) for a crime. They are placed in separate rooms and cannot communicate. The prosecutor offers each of them the same deal:

  1. If both stay silent (Cooperate): Both receive a light sentence of 1 year in prison.
  2. If one confesses and the other stays silent: The person who confesses (Defects) goes free, while the silent person receives 20 years in prison.
  3. If both confess (Defect): Both receive a sentence of 5 years in prison.

The Rational Trap: Why Both Sides Lose

Consider the options from the perspective of Player A:
  • If Player B stays silent: Player A's best move is to confess, because going free is better than serving 1 year.
  • If Player B confesses: Player A's best move is still to confess, because 5 years is better than 20 years.

Because confessing produces a better individual outcome regardless of what the other person chooses, confessing is the dominant strategy.

Player B follows exactly the same logic.

As a result, both suspects confess and receive 5 years, even though both could have received just 1 year if they had cooperated and stayed silent.

This outcome, in which neither player can improve their situation by changing their strategy alone, is called a Nash Equilibrium.

How This Applies to the AI Arms Race

Scenario 1: Nation A Cooperates (Slows Down for Safety)
  • Nation B Cooperates — Best Global Outcome: Both countries develop safer, highly beneficial AI at a more manageable pace.
  • Nation B Defects — Strategic Disadvantage: Nation B accelerates development and potentially achieves a major technological breakthrough, leaving Nation A at a serious strategic disadvantage.

Scenario 2: Nation A Defects (Accelerates AI Development)
  • Nation B Cooperates — Strategic Advantage: Nation A potentially achieves a technological breakthrough while Nation B risks falling behind economically, militarily, and geopolitically.
  • Nation B Defects — Dangerous Arms Race: Both countries accelerate AI development, potentially sacrificing safety precautions and increasing the risk of catastrophic consequences.

The Fundamental Problem

Neither country needs to want a dangerous AI arms race for one to emerge.

Each country may believe that slowing down while its competitor continues advancing would create an unacceptable strategic disadvantage. As a result, both have incentives to accelerate, even if both would prefer a safer, coordinated approach.

The situation becomes even more complicated when we consider that more than 190 countries, countless private companies, independent researchers, and increasingly capable open-source AI models are available to individuals. 

How do you convince all of these actors to slow down when each has an incentive to keep advancing?

That is the tragedy of the Prisoner's Dilemma: individually rational decisions can produce collectively irrational outcomes.

The challenge is not simply convincing everyone that AI safety matters. It is creating conditions where prioritizing safety does not mean accepting an intolerable competitive disadvantage.]]>


Some people argue that the solution to this problem is simply to "slow down," much like the Prisoner's Dilemma. 

The Prisoner's Dilemma: Why the AI Arms Race Is So Difficult to Stop

The Prisoner's Dilemma is a foundational concept in game theory that explains why two completely rational sides might fail to cooperate, even when cooperation would benefit both of them.

It captures the trap of the AI arms race: both sides may recognize that a reckless race is dangerous, but the fear of being left behind gives each an incentive to keep competing.

The Classic Scenario

Imagine the police arrest two suspects (Player A and Player B) for a crime. They are placed in separate rooms and cannot communicate. The prosecutor offers each of them the same deal:

  1. If both stay silent (Cooperate): Both receive a light sentence of 1 year in prison.
  2. If one confesses and the other stays silent: The person who confesses (Defects) goes free, while the silent person receives 20 years in prison.
  3. If both confess (Defect): Both receive a sentence of 5 years in prison.

The Rational Trap: Why Both Sides Lose

Consider the options from the perspective of Player A:
  • If Player B stays silent: Player A's best move is to confess, because going free is better than serving 1 year.
  • If Player B confesses: Player A's best move is still to confess, because 5 years is better than 20 years.

Because confessing produces a better individual outcome regardless of what the other person chooses, confessing is the dominant strategy.

Player B follows exactly the same logic.

As a result, both suspects confess and receive 5 years, even though both could have received just 1 year if they had cooperated and stayed silent.

This outcome, in which neither player can improve their situation by changing their strategy alone, is called a Nash Equilibrium.

How This Applies to the AI Arms Race

Scenario 1: Nation A Cooperates (Slows Down for Safety)
  • Nation B Cooperates — Best Global Outcome: Both countries develop safer, highly beneficial AI at a more manageable pace.
  • Nation B Defects — Strategic Disadvantage: Nation B accelerates development and potentially achieves a major technological breakthrough, leaving Nation A at a serious strategic disadvantage.

Scenario 2: Nation A Defects (Accelerates AI Development)
  • Nation B Cooperates — Strategic Advantage: Nation A potentially achieves a technological breakthrough while Nation B risks falling behind economically, militarily, and geopolitically.
  • Nation B Defects — Dangerous Arms Race: Both countries accelerate AI development, potentially sacrificing safety precautions and increasing the risk of catastrophic consequences.

The Fundamental Problem

Neither country needs to want a dangerous AI arms race for one to emerge.

Each country may believe that slowing down while its competitor continues advancing would create an unacceptable strategic disadvantage. As a result, both have incentives to accelerate, even if both would prefer a safer, coordinated approach.

The situation becomes even more complicated when we consider that more than 190 countries, countless private companies, independent researchers, and increasingly capable open-source AI models are available to individuals. 

How do you convince all of these actors to slow down when each has an incentive to keep advancing?

That is the tragedy of the Prisoner's Dilemma: individually rational decisions can produce collectively irrational outcomes.

The challenge is not simply convincing everyone that AI safety matters. It is creating conditions where prioritizing safety does not mean accepting an intolerable competitive disadvantage.]]> <![CDATA[Global websites shut down after AI found critical flaw affecting 70% of the internet]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Global-websites-shut-down-after-AI-found-critical-flaw-affecting-70-of-the-internet Thu, 22 Oct 2026 10:09:37 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Global-websites-shut-down-after-AI-found-critical-flaw-affecting-70-of-the-internet
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/21/tech/php2...ability-ai]]>
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/21/tech/php2...ability-ai]]> <![CDATA[WARNING: Walmart be trying to scam people. Happened to me too recently!]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-WARNING-Walmart-be-trying-to-scam-people-Happened-to-me-too-recently Sun, 18 Oct 2026 18:49:44 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-WARNING-Walmart-be-trying-to-scam-people-Happened-to-me-too-recently https://www.tiktok.com/@amandabainum457/...7178026253

You gotta watch them like a hawk!]]> https://www.tiktok.com/@amandabainum457/...7178026253

You gotta watch them like a hawk!]]> <![CDATA[Everyone need to trust that AI is always right]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Everyone-need-to-trust-that-AI-is-always-right Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:48:24 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Everyone-need-to-trust-that-AI-is-always-right
Car Repair Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@reliance163/vide...0159969569

Relationship Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@itsme_scooter/vi...9530136862

Nutrition Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@iamharmonydust/v...0657015054]]>
Car Repair Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@reliance163/vide...0159969569

Relationship Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@itsme_scooter/vi...9530136862

Nutrition Advice
https://www.tiktok.com/@iamharmonydust/v...0657015054]]> <![CDATA[snow day in Auburn!!!]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-snow-day-in-Auburn Sun, 18 Oct 2026 13:34:08 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-snow-day-in-Auburn https://www.tiktok.com/@laciemelton/vide...6161800479]]> https://www.tiktok.com/@laciemelton/vide...6161800479]]> <![CDATA["The Climb" Through a Biblical Lens]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-The-Climb-Through-a-Biblical-Lens Sat, 17 Oct 2026 19:48:59 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-The-Climb-Through-a-Biblical-Lens The Climb" wasn't written as a religious song, but its message about struggle, perseverance, and personal growth has some interesting parallels with the Bible.

Regardless of how you feel about the Bible and religion, it's pretty amazing how people thousands of years ago, despite living in a world so different from ours, had such a deep understanding of the struggles of being human.

"The Climb" Through a Biblical Lens
https://www.tiktok.com/@jodywalkswithhim...3033921824]]> The Climb" wasn't written as a religious song, but its message about struggle, perseverance, and personal growth has some interesting parallels with the Bible.

Regardless of how you feel about the Bible and religion, it's pretty amazing how people thousands of years ago, despite living in a world so different from ours, had such a deep understanding of the struggles of being human.

"The Climb" Through a Biblical Lens
https://www.tiktok.com/@jodywalkswithhim...3033921824]]> <![CDATA[Guy orders an Uber, gets a Tesla, then has a complete meltdown over technology]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Guy-orders-an-Uber-gets-a-Tesla-then-has-a-complete-meltdown-over-technology Sat, 17 Oct 2026 18:46:16 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Guy-orders-an-Uber-gets-a-Tesla-then-has-a-complete-meltdown-over-technology https://www.tiktok.com/@theprankcabshow/...2095591711]]> https://www.tiktok.com/@theprankcabshow/...2095591711]]> <![CDATA["Flying car" Elon Musk reveals Tesla Roadster does 0-60 in less than one second]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Flying-car-Elon-Musk-reveals-Tesla-Roadster-does-0-60-in-less-than-one-second Fri, 16 Oct 2026 16:42:14 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Flying-car-Elon-Musk-reveals-Tesla-Roadster-does-0-60-in-less-than-one-second ]]> ]]> <![CDATA[WELCOME TO PICKLE-GATE]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-WELCOME-TO-PICKLE-GATE Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:20:30 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-WELCOME-TO-PICKLE-GATE ]]> ]]> <![CDATA["AI worms" may soon be able to self-replicate and infect smart devices, Anthropic say]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-AI-worms-may-soon-be-able-to-self-replicate-and-infect-smart-devices-Anthropic-say Wed, 14 Oct 2026 05:11:40 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-AI-worms-may-soon-be-able-to-self-replicate-and-infect-smart-devices-Anthropic-say https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-worms-sm...anthropic/

]]> https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ai-worms-sm...anthropic/

]]> <![CDATA[Stop being mean to AI chatbots or else!]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Stop-being-mean-to-AI-chatbots-or-else Tue, 13 Oct 2026 19:50:38 +0000 LevelUP]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Stop-being-mean-to-AI-chatbots-or-else https://www.fastcompany.com/91621574/ant...ator-memes

I guess I gotta stop using the R word in describing my chatbot's responses.]]> https://www.fastcompany.com/91621574/ant...ator-memes

I guess I gotta stop using the R word in describing my chatbot's responses.]]> <![CDATA[Effectiveness and Basis of Chiropractic]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Effectiveness-and-Basis-of-Chiropractic Mon, 12 Oct 2026 08:39:17 +0000 PearsonOTHMQualifi7654]]> https://degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-Effectiveness-and-Basis-of-Chiropractic (10-04-2026, 04:20 PM)sanantone Wrote:
(10-04-2026, 01:50 PM)Sagan Wrote: I've made a very profitable living for more than 40 years in leadership development. The off-handed dismissal of leadership degree programs is laughable on its face. Notice how none of these cranks bother to actually back up their statements. This isn't an endorsement of any particular degree program, of course. But I reject the notion that degrees in leadership are "check the box" actions or other such nonsense. Prove it.

Leadership development is not a doctoral program. You are making the case for non-credit, professional development programs, which doesn't help your argument that leadership doctoral programs are needed.

McDonald's has made a lot of money off selling low-quality food. Chiropractors make money off pseudoscience. What is the point you're trying to make? Crank? Highly emotional and lacking logic. Am I threatening your income?
While I appreciate the exchange of views here, I think we've veered off topic by dismissing chiropractic as pseudoscience. Which ironically, is making me veer off the topic Smile

Chiropractic is certainly not without its problems, and some of its traditional theories remain scientifically unsupported. However, there are over 6,200 scientific publications associated with chiropractic research, including clinical studies, case reports, and educational research. There are also numerous randomized controlled trials examining chiropractic interventions and spinal manipulation.

The evidence is particularly supportive of spinal manipulation for certain musculoskeletal conditions, especially lower back pain.

One can certainly argue about the validity of specific chiropractic claims, but dismissing an entire healthcare profession as pseudoscience ignores evidence-based interventions and groups them with unsupported theories.

I also think people are far too quick to label things as "pseudoscience" or "quackery," often without examining the actual scientific literature.

Some of this perspective has historical roots going back to the 1910 Flexner Report, which helped fundamentally reshape American medical education. The reforms favored a particular biomedical model consisting of patentable, synthetic (pharmaceutical) drugs and surgery, while contributing to the marginalization and eventual closure of numerous alternative medical schools. 

Some assert that it's because John D. Rockefeller was profiting from petroleum, that it made business sense to promote pharmaceutical drugs, of which 99% to this day, inclusive of both prescription and over the counter medications, contain petroleum byproducts. There are claims that Rockefeller funded the Flexner Report, which was commissioned by Dale Carnegie. Abraham Flexner, a non-physician who wrote the report, later was appointed to serve on Rockefeller's Education Reform Board. 

Meanwhile, throughout his life, starting from birth, Rockefeller had 4 "alternative" physicians. 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12318542/

If you want to characterize homeopathy as pseudoscience, that's a more natural stance to have, given the longstanding questions surrounding its proposed mechanisms and clinical efficacy. Interestingly, many of the fundamental criticisms of homeopathy date back almost to its inception and remain largely the same today, particularly regarding extreme dilutions and the proposed mechanisms of action.

Chiropractic, on the other hand, is a rather different discussion. It has a substantial body of clinical research behind it, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews demonstrating benefits for lower back pain.

The American Medical Association (AMA) actively opposed chiropractic for decades, particularly during the mid-twentieth century. That opposition eventually became the subject of a major federal antitrust lawsuit, Wilk v. American Medical Association.

The AMA's Committee on Quackery, established in 1963, explicitly sought to contain and ultimately eliminate chiropractic as a competing healthcare profession.

In 1987, a federal court found that the AMA had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy to restrain competition by restricting professional cooperation between medical physicians and chiropractors. The ruling was subsequently upheld on appeal in 1990.

Anyways, I suspect that some people who dismiss chiropractic as pseudoscience are speaking from personal experiences with individual chiropractors, some of whom may make exaggerated or scientifically unsupported claims.

And I can understand why those experiences might leave someone skeptical. But there's a difference between criticizing the practices or claims of individual practitioners and dismissing an entire healthcare profession.

Or, quite frankly, I suspect that for some people, the reasoning is as simple as: "I went to a chiropractor, didn't feel any better, or actually felt worse. Therefore, chiropractic is pseudoscience."

But that's not how science works. An individual experience, whether positive or negative, doesn't establish the scientific validity of an entire discipline.

By that logic, someone who underwent an unsuccessful surgery or experienced adverse effects from medication could just as easily dismiss surgery or pharmacology as pseudoscience.

We wouldn't accept that reasoning in conventional medicine, so why should we accept it when evaluating chiropractic?

That doesn't mean negative experiences should be dismissed. They're important, particularly when assessing safety and treatment effectiveness. But personal experiences are not substitutes for controlled clinical evidence.]]> (10-04-2026, 04:20 PM)sanantone Wrote:
(10-04-2026, 01:50 PM)Sagan Wrote: I've made a very profitable living for more than 40 years in leadership development. The off-handed dismissal of leadership degree programs is laughable on its face. Notice how none of these cranks bother to actually back up their statements. This isn't an endorsement of any particular degree program, of course. But I reject the notion that degrees in leadership are "check the box" actions or other such nonsense. Prove it.

Leadership development is not a doctoral program. You are making the case for non-credit, professional development programs, which doesn't help your argument that leadership doctoral programs are needed.

McDonald's has made a lot of money off selling low-quality food. Chiropractors make money off pseudoscience. What is the point you're trying to make? Crank? Highly emotional and lacking logic. Am I threatening your income?
While I appreciate the exchange of views here, I think we've veered off topic by dismissing chiropractic as pseudoscience. Which ironically, is making me veer off the topic Smile

Chiropractic is certainly not without its problems, and some of its traditional theories remain scientifically unsupported. However, there are over 6,200 scientific publications associated with chiropractic research, including clinical studies, case reports, and educational research. There are also numerous randomized controlled trials examining chiropractic interventions and spinal manipulation.

The evidence is particularly supportive of spinal manipulation for certain musculoskeletal conditions, especially lower back pain.

One can certainly argue about the validity of specific chiropractic claims, but dismissing an entire healthcare profession as pseudoscience ignores evidence-based interventions and groups them with unsupported theories.

I also think people are far too quick to label things as "pseudoscience" or "quackery," often without examining the actual scientific literature.

Some of this perspective has historical roots going back to the 1910 Flexner Report, which helped fundamentally reshape American medical education. The reforms favored a particular biomedical model consisting of patentable, synthetic (pharmaceutical) drugs and surgery, while contributing to the marginalization and eventual closure of numerous alternative medical schools. 

Some assert that it's because John D. Rockefeller was profiting from petroleum, that it made business sense to promote pharmaceutical drugs, of which 99% to this day, inclusive of both prescription and over the counter medications, contain petroleum byproducts. There are claims that Rockefeller funded the Flexner Report, which was commissioned by Dale Carnegie. Abraham Flexner, a non-physician who wrote the report, later was appointed to serve on Rockefeller's Education Reform Board. 

Meanwhile, throughout his life, starting from birth, Rockefeller had 4 "alternative" physicians. 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12318542/

If you want to characterize homeopathy as pseudoscience, that's a more natural stance to have, given the longstanding questions surrounding its proposed mechanisms and clinical efficacy. Interestingly, many of the fundamental criticisms of homeopathy date back almost to its inception and remain largely the same today, particularly regarding extreme dilutions and the proposed mechanisms of action.

Chiropractic, on the other hand, is a rather different discussion. It has a substantial body of clinical research behind it, including randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews demonstrating benefits for lower back pain.

The American Medical Association (AMA) actively opposed chiropractic for decades, particularly during the mid-twentieth century. That opposition eventually became the subject of a major federal antitrust lawsuit, Wilk v. American Medical Association.

The AMA's Committee on Quackery, established in 1963, explicitly sought to contain and ultimately eliminate chiropractic as a competing healthcare profession.

In 1987, a federal court found that the AMA had engaged in an unlawful conspiracy to restrain competition by restricting professional cooperation between medical physicians and chiropractors. The ruling was subsequently upheld on appeal in 1990.

Anyways, I suspect that some people who dismiss chiropractic as pseudoscience are speaking from personal experiences with individual chiropractors, some of whom may make exaggerated or scientifically unsupported claims.

And I can understand why those experiences might leave someone skeptical. But there's a difference between criticizing the practices or claims of individual practitioners and dismissing an entire healthcare profession.

Or, quite frankly, I suspect that for some people, the reasoning is as simple as: "I went to a chiropractor, didn't feel any better, or actually felt worse. Therefore, chiropractic is pseudoscience."

But that's not how science works. An individual experience, whether positive or negative, doesn't establish the scientific validity of an entire discipline.

By that logic, someone who underwent an unsuccessful surgery or experienced adverse effects from medication could just as easily dismiss surgery or pharmacology as pseudoscience.

We wouldn't accept that reasoning in conventional medicine, so why should we accept it when evaluating chiropractic?

That doesn't mean negative experiences should be dismissed. They're important, particularly when assessing safety and treatment effectiveness. But personal experiences are not substitutes for controlled clinical evidence.]]>