Rationality power tools

From Lesswrongwiki

A Rationality power tool is a computer program that assists with rationality, either epistemic or instrumental. They are not games - power tools are tools, and have the flexibility to be applied to multiple situations while guiding or enhancing their users' power to win or "improve their understanding."

Contents 1 Existing tools 1.1 Coordinated efforts 1.2 Debate tools 1.3 Greasemonkey scripts and proxies 1.4 Prediction tracking 1.4.1 Prediction markets 1.5 Mathematical 1.6 Time management 1.6.1 Document savers 1.7 Spaced repetition 1.8 Personal data tallying/Self experimentation 1.9 Other 2 Defunct 3 In development 4 Proposed 5 Blog post 6 See also

Existing tools

Coordinated efforts

• BitCoin – Cryptocurrency
• ChipIn – For raising funding for projects.
• ThePoint – Non-financial coordination.
• KickStarter – For raising funding for projects. Donations are collected only if a certain threshold is reached.

Debate tools

Main article: Debate tools

• TakeOnIt – A database of expert opinion.

Greasemonkey scripts and proxies

These programs change the behavior or appearance of websites.

• LessWrong Power Reader

Prediction tracking

• PredictionBook – "a site to record and track your predictions."

Prediction markets

• Foresight Exchange – Free website; a funny-money prediction market, ancestor of Consensus Point and The Idea Futures package
• Intrade – Real money prediction market
• ipredict – New Zealand based prediction market.
• Zocalo – software to set up a prediction market

Mathematical

• Gambit – "Gambit is a set of software tools for doing computation on finite, noncooperative games."

Time management

• Org-mode – for Emacs. "org-mode can do clocking (to see how long I'm spending on tasks), all kinds of reminders, todo-lists and can even check which of my 'projects' currently don't have a NextAction defined" - djcb

Document savers

Discussed in "Avoid interruptions by time-shifting them"

• Instapaper
• Read it Later

Spaced repetition

Spaced repetition is a method for memorizing important material.

• Anki – Has sets created by Divia related to the sequences. Multiplatform including iPhone.
• jMemorize – Java based.

Personal data tallying/Self experimentation

• Daytum
• Lifetracker for Android, introduced by Alexei
• your.flowingdata – Tracks items via Twitter

Other

• Actually Useful Horoscopes – introduced in Rationalist horoscopes: A low-hanging utility generator.

Defunct

• [Wrong Tomorrow http://lesswrong.com/lw/z1/wrong_tomorrow/]

In development

• whpearson is working on a Control Market

Proposed

• DilGreen has proposed a Structured Agreement Tool for the development of communities around propositions.
  • Canonizer already implements most of the features described in this proposal

Blog post

• Rationality Power Tools by Nic Smith

See also

• Debate tools
• Prediction market