Robin_Hanson2 comments on Why is the Future So Absurd? - Less Wrong

26 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 07 September 2007 08:42AM

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Comment author: Robin_Hanson2 07 September 2007 01:01:27PM 7 points [-]

In other areas we have somewhat reliable social mechanisms to validate assertions that absurd-appearing claims are in fact reasonable. So when an assertion seems absurd, and there is no social validation that it is still reasonable, we are willing to all the more conclude the claim is not reasonable. So perhaps when we consider claims about the future, we do not sufficiently correct for the fact that in this area we do not have reliable social mechanisms to validate assertions.