You're looking at Less Wrong's discussion board. This includes all posts, including those that haven't been promoted to the front page yet. For more information, see About Less Wrong.

skeptical_lurker comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, January 2015, chapter 103 - Less Wrong Discussion

7 Post author: b_sen 29 January 2015 01:44AM

You are viewing a comment permalink. View the original post to see all comments and the full post content.

Comments (173)

You are viewing a single comment's thread. Show more comments above.

Comment author: Gunnar_Zarncke 30 January 2015 03:07:11PM 2 points [-]

Joint probabilities don't work that way if you have a designed story line. Esp. by this author.

Comment author: skeptical_lurker 30 January 2015 06:07:58PM *  4 points [-]

I'm sorry I don't understand. Even when discussing a work of fiction, the probability that 'Carrow has conducted a dark ritual which makes him a Horocrux' has to be strictly lower than the probability that 'Carrow has a further part to play'.

Probability doen't stop working in certain fields, its universal.

Comment author: Alsadius 01 February 2015 03:35:38AM 2 points [-]

Strictly lower, yes. "Quite low" was what you said, and that part can be disputed based on a read of the author.

Comment author: skeptical_lurker 01 February 2015 12:13:20PM 0 points [-]

Sure, if you think you have a really good read of the author. But as I said, all Horocruxes are accounted for, and as gjm said, there is a simpler explanation, and so I'm sticking by my opinion that Carrow probably isn't a Horocrux, even if he does show up later.

Comment author: Desrtopa 01 February 2015 06:17:52AM 0 points [-]

That sounds a lot more like a Rowling type twist than an Eliezer type twist. There are elements that could be interpreted as vague and oblique hints, but it doesn't suggest particularly clever or well-considered behavior on anyone's part.