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wedrifid comments on Open Thread: March 2010, part 3 - Less Wrong
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Here's a puzzle that involves time travel:
Suppose you have just built a machine that allows you to see one day into the future. Suppose also that you are firmly committed to realizing the particular future that the machine will show you. So if you see that the lights in your workshop are on tomorrow, you will make sure to leave them on; if they are off, you will make sure to leave them off. If you find the furniture rearranged, you will rearrange the furniture. If there is a cow in your workshop, you will spend the next 24 hours getting a cow into your workshop.
My question is this: What is your prior probability for any observation you can make with this machine? For example, what are the odds of the windows being open?
Depends on the details of the counter-factual science. Does not depend on my firm commitment.
I was thinking of a closed time-like curve governed by general relativity, but I don't think that tells you anything. It should depend on your commitment, though.