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Lumifer comments on Open thread, Nov. 24 - Nov. 30, 2014 - Less Wrong Discussion

4 Post author: MrMind 24 November 2014 08:56AM

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Comment author: Lumifer 24 November 2014 09:12:17PM 6 points [-]

all that I really want to avoid is an answer like "I would use all my detailed 21-st century scientific knowledge to do something that a native couldn't possibly do".

How about "I would use all my detailed 21-st century scientific knowledge to be concerned about something that a native couldn't possibly be concerned about"?

Comment author: [deleted] 24 November 2014 09:19:41PM 0 points [-]

Sure, if it leads to an interesting point.

For example, if you were trying to avoid suffering: "I would kill 12 year old Hitler" isn't very interesting, but "I would do BLAH to improve European relations" or "There's nothing I could do" are interesting.

Comment author: polymathwannabe 24 November 2014 10:28:59PM 0 points [-]

"I would kill 12 year old Hitler"

Did you mean 1800 or 1900?

Comment author: [deleted] 24 November 2014 11:01:06PM 3 points [-]

I didn't mean that example to refer to original question; I just wanted to demonstrate a vague but somewhat intuitive difference between "fair" and "unfair" use of future knowledge.

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