Perplexed comments on John Baez Interviews with Eliezer (Parts 2 and 3) - Less Wrong

7 Post author: multifoliaterose 29 March 2011 05:36PM

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Comment author: Perplexed 30 March 2011 02:16:55PM 0 points [-]

What indeterminism actually does is makes test-cases into an unreliable form of evidence.

I don't think you said what you mean.

indeterminism

noun
Definition:

theory that some actions are undetermined: the philosophical theory that human beings have free will and their actions are not always and completely determined by previous events.

But that is pretty much beside the point, because

  • You have provided no reasons why I should think that what you meant is true.

  • We are not talking about increasing confidence in a system by testing it. Certainly Eliezer is not talking about 'test-cases'. We are talking about proofs of correctness.

Comment author: timtyler 30 March 2011 02:58:00PM 0 points [-]

indeterminism [...] theory that some actions are undetermined: the philosophical theory that human beings have free will and their actions are not always and completely determined by previous events.

Uh, no way! Indeterminism is best not defined in terms of humans.

Comment author: Perplexed 30 March 2011 03:27:02PM 1 point [-]

I'm not sure what your point is here. Are you saying that 'indeterminism', in the sense of your substituted definition, is what you really meant when you wrote:

What indeterminism actually does is makes test-cases into an unreliable form of evidence.

?

If so, what do you propose we do about it?

Comment author: timtyler 30 March 2011 02:51:10PM *  -2 points [-]

The intended idea was pretty simple: in a deterministic system if you test it, and it works you know it will work under the same circumstances in the future - whereas in a system that lacks determinism, if you test it, and it works, that doesn't mean it will work in the future.

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