pjeby comments on Go Forth and Create the Art! - Less Wrong

38 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 23 April 2009 01:37AM

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Comment author: pjeby 23 April 2009 06:13:03PM 1 point [-]

Seth Roberts is a great counter-example. He eventually jumps off a cliff,

I presume you mean that non-literally, but I don't know what else you intend it to mean. How is it that he "eventually jumps off a cliff"? Does that mean you disagree with some subset of his conclusions/hypotheses? If so, which ones?

Comment author: MichaelVassar 23 April 2009 11:05:46PM 3 points [-]

I disagree with how far he takes his metaconclusions with which he judges his hypotheses. He rightly rejects bad scientific practices which throw away most data in a Manichean fashion and then use bad methods of analysis anyway to reach wrong conclusions but he then ends up with engaging in the massively motivated collection of confirming evidence that the scientific method is intended to prevent, the generation of cheap evolutionary just so stories, etc.
His theory of holidays, for instance, is a parody of bad evolutionary psychology. Evolution is all important, ultimately, but it's too dumb to make basic competence at hiding instinctual for toddlers. That's pretty bad!