Vladimir_Nesov comments on Counterfactual Calculation and Observational Knowledge - Less Wrong

11 Post author: Vladimir_Nesov 31 January 2011 04:28PM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Article Navigation

Comments (183)
Tags: decision_theory udt counterfactual_calculation

Comments (183)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 02 February 2011 01:47:55AM *  0 points [-]

We can't directly go counterfactual on necessary facts - only on observations that provide evidence regarding necessary facts.

Yes we can. Omega could offer you to control worlds where Q is actually odd.

I notice that Shokwave - the one person who you claimed had understood the problem - is now saying that the value of Q is different in the counterfactual worlds

Link? The value of Q is uncertain, and this holds in considering either possible observation.

Comment author: Perplexed 02 February 2011 05:38:05AM 0 points [-]

We can't directly go counterfactual on necessary facts - only on observations that provide evidence regarding necessary facts.

Yes we can. Omega could offer you to control worlds where Q is actually odd.

I want to answer "No he can't. Not if I am in a world in which Q is actually even. Not if we are talking about the same arithmetic formula Q in each case." But I'm coming to realize that we may not even be talking the same language. For example, I don't really understand what is meant by "Omega could offer you to control worlds where _". Are you suggesting that Omega could make the offer, though he might not have to deliver anything should such worlds not exist?

I notice that Shokwave ... is now saying that the value of Q is different in the counterfactual worlds

Link? The value of Q is uncertain, and this holds in considering either possible observation.

I was referring to this

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 02 February 2011 10:17:19AM 0 points [-]

Are you suggesting that Omega could make the offer, though he might not have to deliver anything should such worlds not exist?

Yes. The offer would be, to enact a given property in all possible worlds of specified event. If there are no possible worlds in that event, this requirement is met by doing nothing.

Powered by Reddit Powered by Reddit