FAWS comments on The Aliens have Landed! - Less Wrong

33 Post author: TimFreeman 19 May 2011 05:09PM

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Comment author: FAWS 19 May 2011 11:31:50PM *  4 points [-]

Don't give in to blackmail, duh.

This would be more interesting if they were offering some sort of simulated reward instead. For sufficiently large, otherwise unreachable rewards giving in might even be the correct answer.

Comment author: Vladimir_Nesov 20 May 2011 01:59:48AM *  1 point [-]

What's "blackmail", especially given that these are aliens, and there is no understanding of their motive?

Comment author: Will_Sawin 20 May 2011 02:07:09AM 1 point [-]

Understanding is not zero.

If someone expends resources in a way that has a good chance of influencing a person similar to you to do X, you can conclude that there is a good chance they want you to do X.

If this expenditure also harms you, then it may make sense to not do X.

Comment author: FAWS 20 May 2011 02:02:18AM 1 point [-]