Vladimir_Nesov comments on Another attempt to explain UDT - Less Wrong

35 Post author: cousin_it 14 November 2010 04:52PM

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Comment author: JGWeissman 14 November 2010 06:00:19PM 3 points [-]

but causes problems in others (i.e. almost everything)

If you are going to make this sort of claim, which the people you are trying to convince clearly disagree with, you should automatically include at least one example.

Propagating ignorance forward seems unwise

UDT does not propagate ignorance. Instead of using evidence to build knowledge of a single universe, it uses that evidence to identify what effects a decision has, possibly in multiple universes.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 14 November 2010 11:44:04PM *  2 points [-]

UDT does not propagate ignorance. Instead of using evidence to build knowledge of a single universe, it uses that evidence to identify what effects a decision has, possibly in multiple universes.

Not quite (or maybe you mean the same thing). Observations construct new agents that are able to affect different places in the environment than the original agent. Observations don't constitute new knowledge, they constitute a change in the decision problem, replacing the agent part with a modified one.

Comment author: JGWeissman 15 November 2010 12:10:37AM 0 points [-]

(or maybe you mean the same thing)

Yes, or at least I agree your explanation.