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gwern comments on Irrationality Game II - Less Wrong Discussion

13 [deleted] 03 July 2012 06:50PM

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Comment author: gwern 20 July 2012 03:35:45AM *  4 points [-]

The nice thing about this one is that it's really easy to test yourself. A plastic bag to put ice or hot water into, and some computerized mental exercise like dual n-back. I know if I thought this at anywhere close to 30% I'd test it...

EDIT: see Yvain's full version: http://squid314.livejournal.com/320770.html http://squid314.livejournal.com/321233.html http://squid314.livejournal.com/321773.html

Comment author: Yvain 27 July 2012 08:40:17PM 1 point [-]

Self-experimentation seems like a really bad way to test things about mental exhaustion. It would be way too easy to placebo myself into working for a longer amount of time without a break, when testing the condition that would support my theory. Might wait until I can find a test subject.

Comment author: gwern 27 July 2012 08:50:55PM 7 points [-]

If you got a result consistent with your theory, then yes it might just be placebo effect, but is that result entirely useless; and if you got a result inconsistent with your theory, is that useless as well?

Comment author: wedrifid 08 September 2013 01:06:08AM 2 points [-]

but is that result entirely useless; and if you got a result inconsistent with your theory, is that useless as well?

"Conservation of expected uselessness!"