Alicorn comments on My Childhood Death Spiral - Less Wrong

23 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 15 September 2008 03:42AM

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Comment author: idlewire 14 July 2009 09:10:27PM 20 points [-]

You wouldn't give up one IQ point for say 10 million dollars? It would be a painful decision, but I'm convinced I could have a much better effect on the world with a massive financial head start at only the slightest detriment of my intelligence. A large enough sum of money would afford me the chance to stop working and study and research the rest of my life, probably leading me to be more intelligent in the long run. Right now, I have to waste away my time with a superior level of intelligence just pay for food, shelter and student loans.

Comment author: Alicorn 14 July 2009 09:20:54PM *  16 points [-]

Agreed. A lot of what we call intelligence is really speed - both in the short run (how long it takes you to add two numbers in your head, for instance) and in the longer run (how long it takes you to accomplish your ambitious projects). Ten million dollars would free up so much time and let you fake so much long-term speed that it would almost certainly be a gain if you got it for one IQ point. Not that anyone's actually offering this trade.