I wonder if I could predict with reasonable accuracy what an AI version of me would be doing in a given circumstance. Also, this shows quite a level of self-awareness for Nick.
Interesting point. I think it would have to depend on just how exact a recreation the AI was and whether my understanding of the situation is right.
I would be zoning out trying to get myself to do logistics stuff before the last second and failing to not-procrastinate; if I hadn’t been able to pawn it off on someone who loves that sort of thing (which, given there’s a bunch of AIs, probably wouldn’t be difficult).
Actually, I’d probably be doing a lot of throwing problems at whatever AI seemed handy at the time. I suppose that’s called ‘delegation’ but the word always seems a little too dignified for a process that most often results from wanting something out of my in-tray.
… Ooh, and see if I can find a handful of AIs with honest and thorough streaks but clashing worldviews and hate each other’s guts. Skim the resulting arguments, base decisions on what I see there, research further if necessary.
Psychologist Tip could probably explain, “Like many folks on the Aspberger’s continuum, our hyper-analytical Nick is painfully self-aware, but doesn’t know quite how to handle the social signals that other people put out. Gaming interactions work well for him because the rules are stated. Emotion-laden interactions with groups would be pure hell.”
If you didn’t run away (or get otherwise “distracted” first), he might even illustrate the situation with the Dread Therapy Puppets.
Nick is a classic introvert. That on its own doesn’t mean he has Asperger’s syndrome. And if it does, then there’s probably twice as many people with Asperger’s than previously estimated. I know many people who are introverts who have never been tested for any sort of disorder.
Almost everyone in my family, including my mother, has several symptoms of Asperger’s – including being introverts – but none of us has ever been tested.
There probably are twice as many people on the autistic spectrum (I’ve been told Asperger’s isn’t the proper term any more) than have been tested. Although there’s one fewer than there was two months ago…
Tip would probably say, “Psych. diagnostic categories are ‘Procrustian Beds’ into which we try to cram multidimensional real people. It’s awkward, but since a decent taxonomy is a necessary substrate of any science, it’s our only starting point towards a scientific psychology. Anyone need a hug?”
It’s the sort of mix that people who were just told about this stuff without experiencing it would say was impossible (and have, to my face): ludicrously absorbed in self-analysis because you are the only person you have anything resembling a useful model of, but *also* so very bad at it that state signals that are obvious to anyone else, like “I am hungry / angry / tired” are almost impossible to discern.
I could believe that of Nick. Monitoring one’s own actions easily enough to predict what you would be doing to that level of detail: easy. Figuring out if another instance of you would be angry because you just insulted them without noticing: impossibly hard, even if it *is* another instance of you.
When Nick took a job with WhimseyCorp. as a beta-tester, they needed another for the female market—so they just made a VR copy of Nick with a few, uh, alterations. A subsequent adventure left Baron Mistycorn in possession of the server Aimee and her version of Whimsey World are stored in.
I’ve come to think of Aimee as Nick’s sister. It makes their relationship less complicated.
Yes, but everyone in this scene is either a creature of mad science or once was at some point. (Actually, Nick could fit in both categories.) They can’t be reality-blind without becoming invisible to themselves.
That’s how i understood it as well, but kingdom hearts might be a whimsy/square-enix (or any plausible deniable replacement for the latter) partnership instead.
Meaning Baron could be a minor character in kingdom hearts! My god, what have Shaenon and Channing wrought on these poor souls.
Amid all the adventuring and froth, the strip has a solid almost traditional underpinning. Characters advance, confront, gain and lose. Under the creativity
there’s a sincere dependability. (I’d join. Heal my back and butt and let me experiment with ‘high velocity exchange of goods and services’, secret visits to targets with surprise intended, and weird missions…put me in, coach. I don’t smoke.
Much….)
I wonder if I could predict with reasonable accuracy what an AI version of me would be doing in a given circumstance. Also, this shows quite a level of self-awareness for Nick.
Interesting point. I think it would have to depend on just how exact a recreation the AI was and whether my understanding of the situation is right.
I would be zoning out trying to get myself to do logistics stuff before the last second and failing to not-procrastinate; if I hadn’t been able to pawn it off on someone who loves that sort of thing (which, given there’s a bunch of AIs, probably wouldn’t be difficult).
Actually, I’d probably be doing a lot of throwing problems at whatever AI seemed handy at the time. I suppose that’s called ‘delegation’ but the word always seems a little too dignified for a process that most often results from wanting something out of my in-tray.
… Ooh, and see if I can find a handful of AIs with honest and thorough streaks but clashing worldviews and hate each other’s guts. Skim the resulting arguments, base decisions on what I see there, research further if necessary.
Psychologist Tip could probably explain, “Like many folks on the Aspberger’s continuum, our hyper-analytical Nick is painfully self-aware, but doesn’t know quite how to handle the social signals that other people put out. Gaming interactions work well for him because the rules are stated. Emotion-laden interactions with groups would be pure hell.”
If you didn’t run away (or get otherwise “distracted” first), he might even illustrate the situation with the Dread Therapy Puppets.
Nick is a classic introvert. That on its own doesn’t mean he has Asperger’s syndrome. And if it does, then there’s probably twice as many people with Asperger’s than previously estimated. I know many people who are introverts who have never been tested for any sort of disorder.
Almost everyone in my family, including my mother, has several symptoms of Asperger’s – including being introverts – but none of us has ever been tested.
There probably are twice as many people on the autistic spectrum (I’ve been told Asperger’s isn’t the proper term any more) than have been tested. Although there’s one fewer than there was two months ago…
Tip would probably say, “Psych. diagnostic categories are ‘Procrustian Beds’ into which we try to cram multidimensional real people. It’s awkward, but since a decent taxonomy is a necessary substrate of any science, it’s our only starting point towards a scientific psychology. Anyone need a hug?”
I’d take a hug, as long as he promised not to break out the puppets.
It’s the sort of mix that people who were just told about this stuff without experiencing it would say was impossible (and have, to my face): ludicrously absorbed in self-analysis because you are the only person you have anything resembling a useful model of, but *also* so very bad at it that state signals that are obvious to anyone else, like “I am hungry / angry / tired” are almost impossible to discern.
I could believe that of Nick. Monitoring one’s own actions easily enough to predict what you would be doing to that level of detail: easy. Figuring out if another instance of you would be angry because you just insulted them without noticing: impossibly hard, even if it *is* another instance of you.
Aimee is Nick? I must have lost track of this particular detail some time ago. Could someone give a brief refresher on that?
The Fun for Some arc. Specifically here: http://skin-horse.com/comic/he-believed/ and http://skin-horse.com/comic/he-heard/
When Nick took a job with WhimseyCorp. as a beta-tester, they needed another for the female market—so they just made a VR copy of Nick with a few, uh, alterations. A subsequent adventure left Baron Mistycorn in possession of the server Aimee and her version of Whimsey World are stored in.
I’ve come to think of Aimee as Nick’s sister. It makes their relationship less complicated.
And, I might add, they created said VR copy of Nick without his knowledge or permission.
Not that you get that much choice about whether you’re a twin in real life, either. (These just share a bit more state, is all.)
But when you have a biological twin, it happened at birth, not in your twenties. And no one else chose to make it happen.
http://skin-horse.com/comic/he-heard/ is the reveal.
Clicked your link, ended up here
The link is right
here: http://skin-horse.com/comic/thanks-to/
…apparently, we can’t use html anymore
Um, Frank? Your link has nothing to do with Nick or Aimee. Was there a point to it?
If heavy is the head that wears the Crown…
…why does anyone remember who she is? It *is* a mind-control crown after all!
Yes, but everyone in this scene is either a creature of mad science or once was at some point. (Actually, Nick could fit in both categories.) They can’t be reality-blind without becoming invisible to themselves.
Why should this mission be any different from the other missions Skin-Horse has gone on?
The only difference I see is that Sweetheart has confirmed it’s stupid at the beginning instead of waiting until they’re finished.
If Kingdom Hearts exists in this universe, does that mean Disney does as well? I always figured Whimsy was supposed to be a Disney stand-in.
That’s how i understood it as well, but kingdom hearts might be a whimsy/square-enix (or any plausible deniable replacement for the latter) partnership instead.
Meaning Baron could be a minor character in kingdom hearts! My god, what have Shaenon and Channing wrought on these poor souls.
She tried playing CrossCode, but it got uncomfortably personal during the Vermillion Wasteland sequence.
Too real, my dude.
Perhaps Aimee can advise Nick on how to approach Virginia?
Or will Lovelace steal him away? (Nick’s cybernetic interface makes him the Most Available Nerd!)
Well, he is compatible….
Amid all the adventuring and froth, the strip has a solid almost traditional underpinning. Characters advance, confront, gain and lose. Under the creativity
there’s a sincere dependability. (I’d join. Heal my back and butt and let me experiment with ‘high velocity exchange of goods and services’, secret visits to targets with surprise intended, and weird missions…put me in, coach. I don’t smoke.
Much….)
A bark of laughter escaped as soon as I read the first line. I’mma steal that line. Thanks, Shaenon.
I appreciate that they have a protocol for stupid missions.
They had to make one. Too many of their assignments fit in that category.
For this storyline, I’ve been reading the good Baron’s voice like Ronaldo from Steven Universe. Anyone else hearing something like that?
hey whats helens pen name
Dr. Milo Tinasky. Why?
Yeah that does pretty much summarize the difference between boys and girls