private_messaging comments on Rationality Quotes September 2013 - Less Wrong

5 Post author: Vaniver 04 September 2013 05:02AM

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Comment author: private_messaging 15 September 2013 08:29:31AM *  1 point [-]

Or, for instance in the case of particle physics, it means the probability you are just looking at background.

Well, technically, the probability that you will end up with a result given that you are just looking at background. I.e. the probability that after the experiment you will end up looking at background thinking it is not background*, assuming it is all background.

  • if it is used for a threshold for such thinking

It's really awkward to describe that in English, though, and I just assume that this is what you mean (while Bayesianists assume that you are conflating the two).