Pentashagon comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 20, chapter 90 - Less Wrong

9 Post author: palladias 02 July 2013 02:13AM

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Comment author: Tenoke 02 July 2013 02:49:11PM *  1 point [-]

Meaning to post this for a while not because it is a novel idea but just so it is recorded somewhere.

I think that there is a good chance that the story finishes with A SuperIntelligence of sorts. Furthermore, I think that if a SI is actually brought in the story, there is at least 50% chance that it will be a SI built/cast with good intentions which nonetheless destroys (in a way) humanity and/or the universe.

Comment author: Pentashagon 03 July 2013 12:25:24AM 1 point [-]

What is Magic besides some form of superintelligence, or at least the remnants of superintelligence? The strongest evidence is that magic-users and even creators don't really have to understand how the spells actually work in order to use them. There is information entering the system from somewhere, and it's enough information to accurately interpret the vague wand movements and sounds of humans and do sufficiently amazing things without too many chaotic side-effects. Even the chaotic side-effects are usually improbably harmless. It's like an almost-Friendly, or perhaps a broken previously-Friendly, AI. Possibly the result of some ancient Singularity that is no longer explicitly remembered.

Comment author: Eugine_Nier 04 July 2013 05:01:07AM 3 points [-]

The strongest evidence is that magic-users and even creators don't really have to understand how the spells actually work in order to use them.

You don't need to know how muscles work in order to use them to move.

Comment author: [deleted] 04 July 2013 07:59:27AM 0 points [-]

You also don't need to know how algorithms work in order to use them, or even to write them. I don't know how Ukkonen's algorithm works, but I've implemented it. You haven't seen magic until you've seen the suffixes of a string sorted in linear time.

Comment author: ewang 04 July 2013 03:21:34AM *  0 points [-]

Here's another, roughly isomorphic statement:

What is Gravity besides some form of superintelligence, or at least the remnants of superintelligence? The strongest evidence is that engineers and even physicists don't really have to understand how gravity actually works in order to use it. There is information entering the system from somewhere, and it's enough information to accurately detect when an object is unsupported or structurally unstable. And the chaotic side-effects tend to be improbably harmful. It's like an almost-Friendly, or perhaps a broken previously-Friendly, AI. Possibly the result of some ancient Singularity that is no longer explicitly remembered.

Comment author: ewang 04 July 2013 03:23:31AM *  1 point [-]

Never mind, I see your point, although I still disagree with your conclusion on the grounds of narrative plausibility and good writing.

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