Slackson comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 15, chapter 84 - Less Wrong

3 Post author: FAWS 11 April 2012 03:39AM

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Comment author: Slackson 12 April 2012 12:03:37AM *  1 point [-]

Hmm. The "those two spirits cannot exist in the same world" part makes me think of an irresistible force and an immovable body. Not sure if that's at all relevant.

Comment author: faul_sname 12 April 2012 08:04:56AM 0 points [-]

How so? I get the same sense, but I can't seem to pin it down.

Comment author: Velorien 12 April 2012 06:01:09PM 0 points [-]

Perhaps it is the "cannot", rather than "must not" or "should not", with its implication of a fundamental incompatibility rather than a moral imperative. "These two things cannot exist in the same world" suggests paradox if they do.

Comment author: Alsadius 13 April 2012 03:26:30AM 2 points [-]

Though of course, Potter and Voldemort exist in the same world for 17 years without breaching physical law in canon, so perhaps it's not entirely literal.

Comment author: Velorien 13 April 2012 12:26:17PM 0 points [-]

Indeed. My comment was trying to account for Slackson and faul_sname's psychological reactions, rather than describe the literal meaning of the prophecy itself.