Perplexed comments on Counterfactual Calculation and Observational Knowledge - Less Wrong

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

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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.

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