timtyler comments on Beauty quips, "I'd shut up and multiply!" - Less Wrong

6 Post author: neq1 07 May 2010 02:34PM

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Comment author: timtyler 10 May 2010 05:47:53PM 1 point [-]

Re: "If you are talking about joint probabilities, p(heads and monday) does not equal p(tails and monday)."

Sure it does - if a fair coin was flipped!

Comment author: neq1 10 May 2010 08:44:47PM 0 points [-]

Maybe instead of just saying it's true, you could look at my proof and show me where I made a mistake. I've done that with yours.

Comment author: timtyler 10 May 2010 09:06:32PM *  1 point [-]

I think you already clarified that here.

You interpreted:

"What is your credence now for the proposition that our coin landed heads?"

...as being equivalent a bet along these lines:

"the scenario where at each awakening we offer a bet where she'd lose $1.50 if heads and win $1 if tails, and we tell her that we will only accept whichever bet she made on the final interview."

...which is a tortured interpretation.

The question says "now". I think the correct corresponding wager is for Beauty to make a bet which is judged according to its truth value there and then - not for it to be interpreted later and the payout modified or cancelled as a result of other subsequent events.