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Eliezer_Yudkowsky comments on The Rebuttal Repository - Less Wrong Discussion

11 Post author: peter_hurford 11 August 2013 06:59AM

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Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 11 August 2013 06:46:37PM 6 points [-]

Since when is quantum immortality popular around here? We should have a wiki "List of Things Which Are And Are Not Popular On LW".

Comment author: gwern 11 August 2013 11:35:56PM *  9 points [-]

That's what the annual surveys are for (and indeed, something I use them for both on and off LW, and why it's such a disaster Yvain chickened out of adding the basilisk question).

Comment author: DanielLC 11 August 2013 11:24:38PM 1 point [-]

I suspect it's better for us not to know what's popular here. It helps prevent groupthink.

Comment author: ChristianKl 12 August 2013 12:13:20AM *  12 points [-]

I suspect it's better for us not to know what's popular here. It helps prevent groupthink.

Groupthinking often comes from an informal understanding about what's popular. I'm not sure that being ignorant about being explicitly able to say what's popular protects you from groupthink.

Comment author: Tenoke 11 August 2013 09:13:50PM 0 points [-]

Arguably, quantum immortality comes with MWI (I wouldn't necessarily argue so but for example Everett might have done)

Comment author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 11 August 2013 09:16:25PM 6 points [-]

"Arguably" is not "LW accepts that argument". "I think your idea has horrible consequence blah, therefore you believe in blah" is merely invalid as a statement about what people's brains physically believe.

Comment author: Tenoke 11 August 2013 09:29:35PM 0 points [-]

I was just pointing out why he might have thought LWers believe it. What happened was probably more like "This idea there is associated with blah. You believe this idea? Ah, you probably believe in blah as well"

Comment author: ChristianKl 12 August 2013 12:18:37AM 0 points [-]

I was just pointing out why he might have thought LWers believe it.

To you think that provided anyone with information that he didn't already had before he read your post?

Comment author: TrE 11 August 2013 10:00:19PM 0 points [-]

I actually remember reading a few articles and comments where this idea was being discussed and seriously considered at least. So, unless my memory fails me, quantum immortality was - at the time - at least somewhat popular among some LW readers. As an example for my question above, it fits.

Comment author: ChristianKl 12 August 2013 12:18:58AM 7 points [-]

The fact that people discuss an idea doesn't show that the idea is popular but that it's interesting.

Comment author: wedrifid 12 August 2013 04:55:28AM *  4 points [-]

I actually remember reading a few articles and comments where this idea was being discussed and seriously considered at least.

We also discuss religion, two boxing and torture.

Comment author: DanArmak 13 August 2013 08:01:18PM 6 points [-]

We also discuss religion, two boxing and torture.

You mean religion, two-boxing and dust specks.

Comment author: linkhyrule5 21 August 2013 10:01:45PM 0 points [-]

Sorry, what is the argument against quantum immortality?

I mean, beyond "it's unfalsifiable."

Comment author: wedrifid 22 August 2013 02:16:43AM *  5 points [-]

Sorry, what is the argument against quantum immortality?

I mean, beyond "it's unfalsifiable."

More to the point, it is a confusion. The thing that is called 'quantum immortality' is not immortality. Acting as if it is immortality (for example, by playing quantum roulettes) is typically an error in translating actual preferences from classical intuitions to account for a physics with quantum mechanics.

Anyone who says "I'm only going to die in (1 - (1/3^^^3)) of the measure therefore I'm immortal" is, to put it mildly, not being practical.

Comment author: linkhyrule5 22 August 2013 03:16:05AM 0 points [-]

Oh, I see. I had thought of that, but I thought there was a physical argument being implied.