Skip to content
By using Twitter’s services you agree to our Cookies Use. We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, and ads.
  • Home Home Home, current page.
  • About

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Language: English
    • Bahasa Indonesia
    • Bahasa Melayu
    • Català
    • Čeština
    • Dansk
    • Deutsch
    • English UK
    • Español
    • Filipino
    • Français
    • Hrvatski
    • Italiano
    • Magyar
    • Nederlands
    • Norsk
    • Polski
    • Português
    • Română
    • Slovenčina
    • Suomi
    • Svenska
    • Tiếng Việt
    • Türkçe
    • Ελληνικά
    • Български език
    • Русский
    • Српски
    • Українська мова
    • עִבְרִית
    • العربية
    • فارسی
    • मराठी
    • हिन्दी
    • বাংলা
    • ગુજરાતી
    • தமிழ்
    • ಕನ್ನಡ
    • ภาษาไทย
    • 한국어
    • 日本語
    • 简体中文
    • 繁體中文
  • Have an account? Log in
    Have an account?
    · Forgot password?

    New to Twitter?
    Sign up
backus's profile
John Backus
John Backus
John Backus
@backus

Tweets

John Backus

@backus

Seeking alternative compression. Hopefully wrong on average. Shameless. Started @getcognito and @bloom

San Francisco, CA
Joined August 2012

Tweets

  • © 2018 Twitter
  • About
  • Help Center
  • Terms
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies
  • Ads info
Dismiss
Previous
Next

Go to a person's profile

Saved searches

  • Remove
  • In this conversation
    Verified accountProtected Tweets @
Suggested users
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @
  • Verified accountProtected Tweets @

Promote this Tweet

Block

  • Tweet with a location

    You can add location information to your Tweets, such as your city or precise location, from the web and via third-party applications. You always have the option to delete your Tweet location history. Learn more

    Your lists

    Create a new list


    Under 100 characters, optional

    Privacy

    Copy link to Tweet

    Embed this Tweet

    Embed this Video

    Add this Tweet to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Add this video to your website by copying the code below. Learn more

    Hmm, there was a problem reaching the server.

    By embedding Twitter content in your website or app, you are agreeing to the Twitter Developer Agreement and Developer Policy.

    Preview

    Why you're seeing this ad

    Log in to Twitter

    · Forgot password?
    Don't have an account? Sign up »

    Sign up for Twitter

    Not on Twitter? Sign up, tune into the things you care about, and get updates as they happen.

    Sign up
    Have an account? Log in »

    Two-way (sending and receiving) short codes:

    Country Code For customers of
    United States 40404 (any)
    Canada 21212 (any)
    United Kingdom 86444 Vodafone, Orange, 3, O2
    Brazil 40404 Nextel, TIM
    Haiti 40404 Digicel, Voila
    Ireland 51210 Vodafone, O2
    India 53000 Bharti Airtel, Videocon, Reliance
    Indonesia 89887 AXIS, 3, Telkomsel, Indosat, XL Axiata
    Italy 4880804 Wind
    3424486444 Vodafone
    » See SMS short codes for other countries

    Confirmation

     

    Welcome home!

    This timeline is where you’ll spend most of your time, getting instant updates about what matters to you.

    Tweets not working for you?

    Hover over the profile pic and click the Following button to unfollow any account.

    Say a lot with a little

    When you see a Tweet you love, tap the heart — it lets the person who wrote it know you shared the love.

    Spread the word

    The fastest way to share someone else’s Tweet with your followers is with a Retweet. Tap the icon to send it instantly.

    Join the conversation

    Add your thoughts about any Tweet with a Reply. Find a topic you’re passionate about, and jump right in.

    Learn the latest

    Get instant insight into what people are talking about now.

    Get more of what you love

    Follow more accounts to get instant updates about topics you care about.

    Find what's happening

    See the latest conversations about any topic instantly.

    Never miss a Moment

    Catch up instantly on the best stories happening as they unfold.

    John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3

    Enjoyed Flowers for Algernon. Wrote some quick thoughts on interpretations that stood out: - Expecting humility - Emotional maturity needing to scale with IQ - Personal growth (are others rooting for us?) - Sisyphean self-improvement vs transhumanismhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2582725685 …

    4:45 PM - 3 Nov 2018
    • 2 Retweets
    • 27 Likes
    • Blake in Portland, OR til 11/19 Isaac Medeiros Sar Haribhakti Zak Kukoff Stephanie Wang Brandon Arvanaghi Tony Sheng Ivan Bogatyy Brian Heligman
    5 replies 2 retweets 27 likes
      1. New conversation
      2. Zak Kukoff‏Verified account @zck Nov 3
        Replying to @backus

        Have you read Understand by Ted Chiang? Takes a different approach but has some of the same thematic elements

        1 reply 0 retweets 3 likes
      3. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3
        Replying to @zck

        Not yet but @rsnous has been recommending Chiang to me for years so I really have no excuse

        1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
      4. Zak Kukoff‏Verified account @zck Nov 3
        Replying to @backus @rsnous

        Highly highly recommend. Stories of your Life and Others (which includes Understand) is a great place to start

        1 reply 0 retweets 2 likes
      5. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3
        Replying to @zck @rsnous

        I’m sure I’ll be evangelizing it by next year and kicking myself for not reading it earlier lol

        1 reply 1 retweet 2 likes
      6. Andy Matuschak‏Verified account @andy_matuschak Nov 3
        Replying to @backus @zck @rsnous

        Ditto this; the fact that they’re so short makes the experience even more striking!

        0 replies 0 retweets 4 likes
      7. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Brian Heligman‏ @BrianTHeligman Nov 3
        Replying to @backus

        Awesome book; actually the one that got me back into reading

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3
        Replying to @BrianTHeligman

        Makes sense. Explores interesting topics, good story, and the way it’s written makes it very fun. Love books that play with the medium like this

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. Brian Heligman‏ @BrianTHeligman Nov 3
        Replying to @backus

        Yeah for sure. It’s also the go to example I give people when to explain what I mean by hard science fiction; using minimal technological changes to cast light upon the society and the human condition. Not aliens but they’re just people that are blue

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      5. Brian Heligman‏ @BrianTHeligman Nov 3
        Replying to @BrianTHeligman @backus

        If you haven’t gotten around to it yet, I’d highly recommend The Three Body problem as a superlative example of the genre

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      6. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3
        Replying to @BrianTHeligman

        Thanks I’ll probably just buy it right now then. Really high praise for this book

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      7. Brian Heligman‏ @BrianTHeligman Nov 3
        Replying to @backus

        Awesome; I’m excited for you. Probably my favorite fiction series

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      8. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. niftynei‏ @niftynei Nov 9
        Replying to @backus

        this was so good it gave me thoughts 🤭http://foolproof.ink/index.php/2018/11/09/reflecting-on-intelligence/ …

        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 9
        Replying to @niftynei

        Nice! Really like the alt take on “the devil is in the details” at the end :)

        0 replies 1 retweet 0 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. New conversation
      2. Sar Haribhakti‏ @sarthakgh Nov 3
        Replying to @backus

        Sar Haribhakti Retweeted Geoffrey Miller

        Great write up! This is not very relevant but reminds me of this thread on IQhttps://twitter.com/primalpoly/status/1058759070797033473?s=21 …

        Sar Haribhakti added,

        Geoffrey MillerVerified account @primalpoly
        If you take 5 minutes to read this thread, you'll know more about IQ than 80% of journalists and social scientists. https://twitter.com/SteveStuWill/status/1057962279713435650 …
        1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
      3. John Backus‏ @backus Nov 3
        Replying to @sarthakgh

        Thanks! And yeah, I’ve been slowly reading @StuartJRitchie’s book on IQ. A friend recommended Flowers for Algernon after discussing IQ. I included some interpretations about IQ in the review, but I still hold the belief that it’s overwhelmingly positive for IQ to go up.

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
      4. End of conversation
      1. Will Jones‏ @willgdjones Nov 4
        Replying to @backus

        I loved Flowers for Algernon.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
        Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. Undo
        Undo

    Loading seems to be taking a while.

    Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.

      Promoted Tweet

      false

      • © 2018 Twitter
      • About
      • Help Center
      • Terms
      • Privacy policy
      • Cookies
      • Ads info