Well, it looks like we found the root of our disagreement: I take the original problem literally, one blink and THAT'S IT, while you say "you don't have the guarantee that the decisions of a trillion different agents won't pile up".
My version has an obvious solution (no torture), while yours has to be analyzed in detail for every possible potential pile up, and the impact has to be carefully calculated based on its probability, the number of people involved, and any other conceivable and inconceivable (i.e. at the probability level of 1/3^^^3) factors.
Until and unless there is a compelling evidence of an inevitable pile-up, I pick the no-torture solution. Feel free to prove that in a large chunk (>50%?) of all the impossible possible worlds the pile-up happens, and I will be happy to reevaluate my answer.
take the original problem literally, one blink and THAT'S IT
Every election is stolen one vote at a time.
My version has an obvious solution (no torture),
My version has also an obvious solution - choosing not to inflict disutility on 3^^^3 people.
and the impact has to be carefully calculated based on its probability,
That's the useful thing about having such an absurdly large number as 3^^^3. We don't really need to calculate it, "3^^^3" just wins. And if you feel it doesn't win, then 3^^^^3 would win. Or 3^^^^^3. Add as many carets as ...
Today's post, Torture vs. Dust Specks was originally published on 30 October 2007. A summary (taken from the LW wiki):
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