Reflections on Rat Fest ’25

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Dennis HackethalOP·#2042·1y

Science writer John Horgan wrote his own article about his experience at Rat Fest:

johnhorgan.org

My Weekend at “Rat Fest” — John Horgan (The Science Writer)

HOBOKEN, OCTOBER 4, 2025. “It feels a little cult-y.” That’s how I respond when Logan Chipkin asks what I think of “Rat Fest.” Let me back up a bit: Last summer, I get an email from someone named Logan Chipkin, who founded something called the Conjecture Institute . He wants my permission to use

Criticized14*

Dennis HackethalOP·#2048·1y·Criticism

Only version leading to #2050 (2 total)·latest

… My students are using AI to do their thinking for them.

Generally speaking, people who have properly functioning minds enjoy thinking about things they are interested in and use tools to outsource toil and other things they are not interested in.

They would not want to use those tools to spend less time doing things they do enjoy. If Horgan’s students are using AI, that means they are not interested in whatever he teaches them. (That isn’t necessarily an indictment of Horgan – people often go to school not because it interests them but because they think they should.)

In this sense, AI is more like a calculator allowing mathematicians to focus on what really matters: using their creativity to find new proofs, theorems, etc (I’m not a mathematician, but I imagine that’s what they do).

Criticized1*

Dennis HackethalOP·#2050·1y·Criticism·System-generated

Superseded by #2049.