# User: Raelifin
Profile URL (HTML): [/users/raelifin](/users/raelifin)
Profile URL (Markdown): [/api/user/raelifin](/api/user/raelifin)
* Karma: 941
* Posts: 23
* Comments: 67
* Member since: 2011-12-25 18:17:26Z
Bio
---
Also known as [Max Harms](http://maxharms.com). (I post AI alignment content under [my other account](https://www.alignmentforum.org/users/max-harms).)
Not the same person as [MaxH](https://www.lesswrong.com/users/max-h)!
Top Posts
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### [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2026-04-15 15:46:32Z
* Karma: 225
* Tags: [Cryonics](/w/cryonics) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
### [The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Fiction](/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2025-11-03 15:35:31Z
* Karma: 222
* Curated
* Linkpost: [https://raelifin.substack.com/p/red-heart-is-now-available](https://raelifin.substack.com/p/red-heart-is-now-available)
* Tags: [Fiction (Topic)](/w/fiction-topic), [Writing (communication method)](/w/writing-communication-method), [Practical](/w/practical) (Frontpage)
Read more: [/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction](/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction)
### [Improving on the Karma System](/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2021-11-14 18:01:30Z
* Karma: 109
* Tags: [LW Moderation](/w/lw-moderation), [Mechanism Design](/w/mechanism-design), [Site Meta](/w/site-meta), [Community](/w/community) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system](/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system)
Recent Posts
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### [Planning for Preservation in the Age of AI](/api/post/planning-for-preservation-in-the-age-of-ai)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2026-06-22 17:51:40Z
* Karma: 31
* Tags: [AI](/w/ai) (Frontpage)
Read more: [/api/post/planning-for-preservation-in-the-age-of-ai](/api/post/planning-for-preservation-in-the-age-of-ai)
### [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2026-04-15 15:46:32Z
* Karma: 225
* Tags: [Cryonics](/w/cryonics) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
### [Raelifin's Shortform](/api/post/raelifin-s-shortform)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2026-03-22 18:08:28Z
* Karma: 5
* Tags: None (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/raelifin-s-shortform](/api/post/raelifin-s-shortform)
### [Becoming a Chinese Room](/api/post/becoming-a-chinese-room)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2025-12-01 16:34:30Z
* Karma: 40
* Linkpost: [https://raelifin.substack.com/p/becoming-a-chinese-room](https://raelifin.substack.com/p/becoming-a-chinese-room)
* Tags: [China](/w/china), [AI](/w/ai) (Frontpage)
Read more: [/api/post/becoming-a-chinese-room](/api/post/becoming-a-chinese-room)
### [The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Fiction](/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2025-11-03 15:35:31Z
* Karma: 222
* Curated
* Linkpost: [https://raelifin.substack.com/p/red-heart-is-now-available](https://raelifin.substack.com/p/red-heart-is-now-available)
* Tags: [Fiction (Topic)](/w/fiction-topic), [Writing (communication method)](/w/writing-communication-method), [Practical](/w/practical) (Frontpage)
Read more: [/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction](/api/post/the-unreasonable-effectiveness-of-fiction)
### [o1 tried to avoid being shut down](/api/post/o1-tried-to-avoid-being-shut-down)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2024-12-05 19:52:03Z
* Karma: 10
* Linkpost: [https://www.transformernews.ai/p/openais-new-model-tried-to-avoid](https://www.transformernews.ai/p/openais-new-model-tried-to-avoid)
* Tags: [AI](/w/ai) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/o1-tried-to-avoid-being-shut-down](/api/post/o1-tried-to-avoid-being-shut-down)
### [Prediction Market News/Ticker?](/api/post/prediction-market-news-ticker)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2022-03-08 21:44:20Z
* Karma: 13
* Tags: [Community](/w/community), [World Modeling](/w/world-modeling) (Frontpage)
Read more: [/api/post/prediction-market-news-ticker](/api/post/prediction-market-news-ticker)
### [Improving on the Karma System](/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2021-11-14 18:01:30Z
* Karma: 109
* Tags: [LW Moderation](/w/lw-moderation), [Mechanism Design](/w/mechanism-design), [Site Meta](/w/site-meta), [Community](/w/community) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system](/api/post/improving-on-the-karma-system)
### [Vegetarianism Ideological Turing Test Results](/api/post/vegetarianism-ideological-turing-test-results)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2015-10-14 00:34:33Z
* Karma: 36
* Tags: [Ideological Turing Tests](/w/ideological-turing-tests) (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/vegetarianism-ideological-turing-test-results](/api/post/vegetarianism-ideological-turing-test-results)
### [Vegetarian/Omnivore Ideological Turing Test Judging Round!](/api/post/vegetarian-omnivore-ideological-turing-test-judging-round)
By [Raelifin](/users/raelifin)
2015-08-20 01:53:29Z
* Karma: 8
* Tags: None (Personal Blog)
Read more: [/api/post/vegetarian-omnivore-ideological-turing-test-judging-round](/api/post/vegetarian-omnivore-ideological-turing-test-judging-round)
Recent Comments
---------------
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [P(doom) is a Dumb Meme](/api/post/p-doom-is-a-dumb-meme)
* 2026-06-29 21:35:53Z
* Karma: 3
* Total votes: 2
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/p-doom-is-a-dumb-meme/comments/JfgzGtHDDXsB7Eppa](/api/post/p-doom-is-a-dumb-meme/comments/JfgzGtHDDXsB7Eppa)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/6h7aAd4aw8YgCAbF6/p-doom-is-a-dumb-meme/comment/JfgzGtHDDXsB7Eppa](/posts/6h7aAd4aw8YgCAbF6/p-doom-is-a-dumb-meme/comment/JfgzGtHDDXsB7Eppa)
Yeah. I think this is a CDT fallacy. *We* can influence the chance that the world ends quite a lot. "We" is made up of a bunch of "me". Therefore, yes, I do think I can make a difference (as part of my decision group).
I would suggest asking if they vote, but a lot of people vote for non-FDT reasons (eg high expected impact even if you only have a 1/million chance of changing things).**
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Empowerment, corrigibility, etc. are simple abstractions (of a messed-up ontology)](/api/post/empowerment-corrigibility-etc-are-simple-abstractions-of-a)
* 2026-05-12 20:12:16Z
* Karma: 4
* Total votes: 4
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/empowerment-corrigibility-etc-are-simple-abstractions-of-a/comments/7mSBqshpPGRtnSChB](/api/post/empowerment-corrigibility-etc-are-simple-abstractions-of-a/comments/7mSBqshpPGRtnSChB)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/vzHtHHBJoKATi5SeK/empowerment-corrigibility-etc-are-simple-abstractions-of-a/comment/7mSBqshpPGRtnSChB](/posts/vzHtHHBJoKATi5SeK/empowerment-corrigibility-etc-are-simple-abstractions-of-a/comment/7mSBqshpPGRtnSChB)
> Max’s stopgap plan would involve comparing the human’s values to what they’d be if the AI did nothing. I think he understates how bad that stopgap plan is. Even providing straightforwardly-true factual information can change what a person wants, right?
Yes. That's right. And I am (among other things) worried about an AI that warps my values by telling me a series of facts.
But I want to clarify that I'm talking about *terminal* values, not strategic sub-goals. The stopgap plan is 100% able to tell me that the store is closed, thus changing my plan of going to the store. What it shouldn't do is tell me intense stories about the suffering of pigs and thereby change how much I care about pigs.[^4bxp5vzrvhm]
Why do you think this stopgap is so bad? (I agree that it's bad, but it seems like you see it as worse than me.)
[^4bxp5vzrvhm]: Unless this story is necessary to counteract another pressure such that I cleave closer to the null-action counterfactual.
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-25 15:19:18Z
* Karma: 1
* Total votes: 1
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/fPWeuzL6QxBkFwD2z](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/fPWeuzL6QxBkFwD2z)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/fPWeuzL6QxBkFwD2z](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/fPWeuzL6QxBkFwD2z)
The dynamic you're talking about is real, but also I suspect is a product of the Overton window being closed. Marketing and building momentum could, I think, unlock a huge market. But absent doing better than the existing orgs on that front, I agree the customer base is likely going to be tiny.
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-25 15:16:18Z
* Karma: 2
* Total votes: 2
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/FBRZqgrw9aFmWqBMx](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/FBRZqgrw9aFmWqBMx)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/FBRZqgrw9aFmWqBMx](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/FBRZqgrw9aFmWqBMx)
I don't have a good sense of how well MAiD cryonics can get in terms of information preservation. On the surface it should be a huge improvement, since it won't have the ischemia issue, but three immediate things jump to mind:
\* Ken Hayworth effectively condemned the highest-quality cryo-tissue in 2015, not just the average case (which he agrees is much worse).
\* Cryo orgs store at -196, and there is a substantial risk of shattering at that temperature.
\* Being unable to survive thawing means cryo is more fragile in many ways.
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-20 23:53:28Z
* Karma: 7
* Total votes: 2
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/RdLbiSMqjFXA6GAbG](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/RdLbiSMqjFXA6GAbG)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/RdLbiSMqjFXA6GAbG](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/RdLbiSMqjFXA6GAbG)
Thanks for the response! I appreciate the extra context on your third-party validation. Sorry if that's on the website somewhere and I just didn't find it.
I actually learned about Sparks in the course of investigating Nectome, and I hope my post helps similarly direct more attention your way. I broadly think Sparks is doing good work in saving lives, and I appreciate your contribution to that. :)
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-17 13:57:38Z
* Karma: 1
* Total votes: 1
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/Dz3FgjwtYzcGAsmQe](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/Dz3FgjwtYzcGAsmQe)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/Dz3FgjwtYzcGAsmQe](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/Dz3FgjwtYzcGAsmQe)
If you succeed, maybe you should work for Nectome. 😅
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-16 14:31:05Z
* Karma: 1
* Total votes: 1
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/fmFqExXwEoGRkmdYh](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/fmFqExXwEoGRkmdYh)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/fmFqExXwEoGRkmdYh](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/fmFqExXwEoGRkmdYh)
Mostly our conversation was about MAiD, and the way that donating your body as part of that can require crossing country borders. But honestly I don't remember a ton of specifics because I wasn't taking notes during that exchange. Maybe [@Borys Wrobel](/api/user/borys-wrobel?mention=user) has more to say. (Tho he doesn't use LW that much, so if you really want to know, you might want to email Nectome. Hello@nectome.com)
### Comment by [Raelifin](/users/raelifin) on [Nectome: All That I Know](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know)
* 2026-04-16 14:23:08Z
* Karma: 4
* Total votes: 3
* Comment URL (Markdown): [/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/SQb2hnw4nvG9HboTE](/api/post/nectome-all-that-i-know/comments/SQb2hnw4nvG9HboTE)
* Comment URL (HTML): [/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/SQb2hnw4nvG9HboTE](/posts/3i5GMhpGbDwef9Rns/nectome-all-that-i-know/comment/SQb2hnw4nvG9HboTE)
Yeah, totally. I expect historical records and the memories of other people to be useful.
My point is that I don't know an objective measure for whether the superintelligence rescued the existing person or built a new person, except via whether they match the other memories and records. If the superintelligence optimizes for the "rescued" person matching the memories of those who knew them, they will seem like they were revived successfully, but might not actually be very close to the real deal.
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