Adele_L comments on Boltzmann Brains and Anthropic Reference Classes (Updated) - Less Wrong

-4 Post author: pragmatist 04 June 2012 04:04AM

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Comment author: Adele_L 04 June 2012 05:28:08AM *  0 points [-]

Oh okay then.

The belief state in the Boltzmann brain wouldn't be caused by some external stable macroscopic object.

I don't think it matters what caused the belief. Just that if it had the same state as your brain, that state would correspond to a brain that observed a place with low entropy.

Comment author: pragmatist 04 June 2012 05:58:40AM *  -1 points [-]

I'm still having trouble understanding your point. I think there is good reason to think the brain does not in fact have any beliefs. Beliefs, as we understand them, are produced by certain sorts of interactions between brains and environments. The Boltzmann brain's brain states are not attributable to interactions of that sort, so they are not beliefs. Does that help, or am I totally failing to get what you're saying?

Comment author: Adele_L 04 June 2012 09:34:41PM 1 point [-]

Beliefs, as we understand them...

But wouldn't a Boltzmann brain understand its "beliefs" the same way, despite them not corresponding to reality?