James_Miller comments on Rationality Quotes March 2014 - Less Wrong

4 Post author: malcolmocean 01 March 2014 03:34PM

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Comment author: James_Miller 01 March 2014 06:40:21PM 4 points [-]

Yes because of germs.

Comment author: bramflakes 01 March 2014 09:41:16PM 6 points [-]

Depends which primitive tribes. Amerindians died from European diseases and Europeans died from African diseases.

Comment author: DanielLC 02 March 2014 11:16:06PM 2 points [-]

And germs.

Are the ideas harmful?

Comment author: James_Miller 03 March 2014 12:07:37AM 3 points [-]

Some religious views might be.

Comment author: [deleted] 04 March 2014 08:07:33PM 9 points [-]

I'm pretty sure most uncontacted tribes had their own religious weirdness.

Comment author: DanArmak 01 March 2014 09:43:57PM 1 point [-]

Good point, but that doesn't fall under the "a lot to learn from" rubric. Your general point about contact is likely true.

Comment author: James_Miller 01 March 2014 09:49:18PM 0 points [-]

Pretend I'm a fantastic in-person teacher but if you get near me you will die of some disease. Do you have a lot to learn from me?

Comment author: DanArmak 02 March 2014 11:25:49AM 2 points [-]

As I said, your general point about net value of contact is correct.

Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 29 March 2014 01:12:28PM 0 points [-]

Yes. Use a correspondence course...

Comment author: James_Miller 29 March 2014 03:42:03PM 0 points [-]

And if you can't read?

Comment author: Luke_A_Somers 29 March 2014 04:29:48PM 0 points [-]

My reply was not entirely literal; in short, information and disease do not all follow the same vectors. A sterilized phone would be helpful, but of course then you could say what if you don't know how to use a phone...