Alicorn comments on "What Is Wrong With Our Thoughts" - Less Wrong

23 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 17 May 2009 07:24AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (103)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: byrnema 18 May 2009 09:21:32PM *  0 points [-]

If this is true, it is an empirical fact; and you should be able to see the alternative as possible!

Indeed, 2+2=4 is only true in some contexts. For example, sometimes 1+1=1 -- in contexts where separate objects lose their distinct identity as soon as they are grouped. (Think of a particular object several times. How many times did you think of it? But how many objects did you think of?)

Later edit: It is interesting that such a benign comment would get 4 down votes. Perhaps I understand this group well enough to guess why: the experiment I suggested is an entirely "internal" one, it provides no external proof of what I am suggesting. I think that a common reader here feels dismissive of, if not entirely antagonistically towards, knowledge that is internally generated. Personally, I have a preference for the knowledge that arises from internal experience.

Comment author: Alicorn 18 May 2009 09:56:14PM 1 point [-]

How many words are in this list?

  • Duck
  • Duck
  • Goose
Comment author: JGWeissman 18 May 2009 10:07:38PM 0 points [-]

The list contains 3 word instances and represents 2 word prototypes.

Comment author: Alicorn 18 May 2009 11:49:28PM 1 point [-]

The jargon I was looking for was 3 tokens of 2 types, but close enough :)

Comment author: JGWeissman 19 May 2009 07:36:32PM 0 points [-]

Heh, with the right jargon, you can accomplish anything. ;)