In the game "First Loser Wins" you win points by coming in second place in competitions, and then you win the game overall by having the second-most amount of points. http://firstloserwins.com
The Byzantine Generals Problem's only prereq is familiarity with basic mathematical notation and a willingness to read carefully. The paper is seminal; it articulates a major computer security concern, the concern that rogue nodes in a network may lie in their communications.
Writing a monad blog post is obligatory for all who know monads. Here's mine: a monad is a class with a sensible flatMap operation. Hope that helps you understand monads...
> I'm very willing to assent to the idea that spiritual masters experience less loneliness
Chogyam Trunpga, founder of the Shambhala Buddhist tradition, said "Egolessness is a concept, a philosophy, but loneliness is a reality that you experience. A feeling of loneliness is part of the journey. As for me, I feel that way constantly, and I think it's a very healthy feeling, a very real feeling."
It's difficult to develop a winning strategy.