steven0461 comments on Best career models for doing research? - Less Wrong

27 Post author: Kaj_Sotala 07 December 2010 04:25PM

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Comment author: steven0461 10 December 2010 09:50:05PM 6 points [-]

I would choose that knowledge if there was the chance that it wouldn't find out about it. As far as I understand your knowledge of the dangerous truth, it just increases the likelihood of suffering, it doesn't make it guaranteed.

I don't understand your reasoning here -- bad events don't get a "flawless victory" badness bonus for being guaranteed. A 100% chance of something bad isn't much worse than a 90% chance.

Comment author: XiXiDu 11 December 2010 09:07:07AM 0 points [-]

I said that I wouldn't want to know it if a bad outcome was guaranteed. But if it would make a bad outcome possible, but very-very-unlikely to actually occur, then the utility I assign to knowing the truth would outweigh the very unlikely possibility of something bad happening.

Comment author: FormallyknownasRoko 10 December 2010 10:34:52PM 0 points [-]

No, dude, you're wrong