GoKawiilReflecting on Yudkowsky's 'Failures of Eld Science' and the psychology of trying hard
The piece revisits a 2009 essay musing on why intellectual acknowledgment that a theory is wrong doesn't translate into the same urgency as a real anomaly demanding explanation. It draws on a Zen dialogue about conviction and quotes Eliezer Yudkowsky's fictional 'beisutsukai' story about physicists who failed to overturn quantum mechanics despite knowing something was off. The author admits the essay never fully came together but explores the gap between knowing something is wrong and having the drive to fix it.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This reflection speaks to a broader problem in science and technology: recognizing flaws in established frameworks isn't enough to spur real progress without motivation, urgency, or a concrete goal. It's a reminder that breakthroughs often require more than correct diagnosis—they require psychological and practical drivers like necessity or crisis.
- The essay contrasts intellectual awareness of flawed theories with the emotional drive needed to fix them.
- It uses a Zen teaching on conviction and Yudkowsky's fictional physics parable as parallel examples.
- The core idea is that pragmatic motivation, not just knowledge, drives real scientific breakthroughs.
The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau — The Yasutani dialogue quoted at the top of this essay comes straight from Philip Kapleau's classic compilation of teaching, practice, and enlightenment accounts. It's the ideal follow-up if you want the full context on conviction, determination, and zeal as prerequisites for really trying. A durable staple of any shelf that already holds rationality and self-improvement reading.
See The Three Pillars of Zen by Philip Kapleau on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: gwern.net, 2026-09-09
Published there as: “On Really Trying (2009)”
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