https://vegasharmon.com/authors/eliezer-yudkowsky/ Recent content in Eliezer Yudkowsky on Vegas Harmon Hugo en Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://vegasharmon.com/commonplace/five-minutes-by-the-clock/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://vegasharmon.com/commonplace/five-minutes-by-the-clock/ Which leads into another good question to ask yourself straight out: Did I spend five minutes with my eyes closed, brainstorming wild and creative options, trying to think of a better alternative? It has to be five minutes by the clock, because otherwise you blink—close your eyes and open them again—and say, “Why, yes, I searched for alternatives, but there weren’t any.” Blinking makes a good black hole down which to dump your duties.