wedrifid comments on MWI, copies and probability - Less Wrong

13 [deleted] 25 June 2010 04:46PM

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Comment author: wedrifid 26 June 2010 03:22:29PM *  3 points [-]

Really? Can't I just make a deal with Fred, pool our finances and distribute our quantum probability of life in proportion to our financial contribution?

Or, reading again, are you referring to maximising "p(life) * money_if_you_live"? I suppose that just relies on trading with people who are desperate. For example if Fred requires $1,000,000 to cure his cancer and has far less money than that he will benefit from trading a far smaller slice of quantum_life at a worse price so that his slice of life actually involves living.

Incidentally Fred's situation there is one of very few cases where I would actually Quantum Suicide myself. I value my quantum slice extremely highly... but everything has a price (in utility if not dollars).

Comment deleted 26 June 2010 03:50:43PM [-]
Comment author: wedrifid 26 June 2010 03:54:01PM *  1 point [-]

That's why you always make sure you're the house.

By the way, underscores work like asterisks do. Escape them with an \ if you want to use more than one.

Comment deleted 26 June 2010 03:56:57PM *  [-]
Comment author: wedrifid 26 June 2010 04:15:52PM 1 point [-]

I think that a better solution is to use the stock market as a fair lottery.

Fair systems are good for the person who would otherwise be exploited. They aren't good for the one who is seeking advantage. The whole point in this branch is that you were considering the availability of finding deals that give you positive expected returns.

If you are looking for a way to ensure a real positive expectation from a deal you don't create a stock market, you create a black market.