#032: Why Slot Machines Are Addictive, AI Safety for Dummies, All Known Physics in 9 Lines

Hi All!

We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com.

This edition is helped in part by the support of Boot.dev. Be sure to check them out in the P.S. for a special signup offer and more information. Let's jump into this week's finds:

Why Slot Machines Are Addictive

In this article from The Guardian, you will see how poker machines are designed to leverage psychology in order to be addictive. The feature breaks down the use of sights, sounds, intermittent reward schedules, and near-misses to entice people to stay on the machine longer.

When I read (and played through) the article, I immediately thought of the times I have spent walking through casinos observing slot machines. They are large, usually associated with a brand, and are accessible to play for most people. After reading this article, I know I won't look at them the same way.

Explorable Explanations - a Visual Learner's Dream

If you fashion yourself as a 'hands-on' or 'visual' learner, Explorable Explanations is one of my top recommendations of sites you should visit. It's actually how I found the article above relating to slot machines, but it has many more for you to discover.

We know we are biased in liking games that pertain to math, physics, programming, and psychology, but there are many other subjects the site curates games for too. This includes art, philosophy, civics, earth sciences, and more!

I resonate with the goal of this site and love their into paragraph explaining their mission:

No More AI Search On Google

Raise your hand if you have ever felt like the new Google AI Overview has made search 100x harder to find what you're actually looking for.

If you are in the same boat as us, then you will love the website udm14.com.

​@TheMcKenziest on Twitter was the first to find this hack, which essentially states that you can remove AI Overview if you add "udm=14" to the end of a Google search URL.

​@ShortFormErnie decided to take this knowledge and turn it into a separate web browser. If you would like to return to normal Google searching, this is exactly what you've been looking for.

All Known Physics in 9 Lines

I believe that some of the most seemingly complex systems we encounter in our lives can be explained in simple ways. In fact, one of my favorite quotes comes again from Naval Ravikant:

When looking for new physics resources to add, I came across Motion Mountain, the Free Physics Textbook. My favorite page on the site is Physics in 9 Lines. From the page itself:

Whether you understand the lines or not, it is still fascinating to look at the relative simplicity of the math that governs all life around us.

AI Safety in a Non-Cringe Way

Current AI safety regulation is still in the early stages, and the debate is heating up about whether to keep these models closed or open-source. Regardless, AI is something that can be scary due to how it's been depicted in movies, tv shows, and books.

This is exactly why we should all read AI Safety for Fleshy Humans by Nicky Case & Hack Club. It is the most comprehensive, accessible guide I have found that details the core ideas of AI and AI safety.

Currently, the Introduction and Part 1 (Past & Future) are available, with Part 2 (Problems) and Part 3 (Solutions) coming later this summer and fall respectively. It has hilarious comics, prescient insights, and clear language to help you understand AI. This is absolutely required reading for all fleshy humans.

P.S. Have you heard of Boot.dev? One of my friends showed me this recently and when I started to demo it, it blew me away! It's a site that teaches you back-end development in a fun, gamified way. It's helped over 70,000 students learn in-demand technologies like Python, SQL, Go, and a bunch of other advanced topics.

If you're interested in a membership, use the code BECKET at checkout for 25% off your first payment (either first month or yearly depending on the plan you like).

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Always wishing you the best,

J.B.