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Unknowns comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, February 2015, chapter 109 - Less Wrong Discussion

5 Post author: Gondolinian 23 February 2015 08:05PM

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Comment author: Jost 23 February 2015 08:49:33PM 6 points [-]

… which is exactly what the mirror would say, if this were a parody of Eliezer-written Harry Potter-fanfiction.

(On the other hand, Eliezer frequently likes to play some pretty absurd things straight (the Comed-Tea induced Quibbler headline, the Yaoi fangirls, …), so … I’m not quite sure what to think. My estimate for P(the ending of HPMoR will be incomprehensible to non-LWers) just went up a bit, but not by much.)

Comment author: Unknowns 24 February 2015 10:24:33AM 1 point [-]

I think the reason this looks like a parody is that it is not an original idea. Eliezer took it from here (http://lesswrong.com/lw/7jd/harry_potter_and_the_methods_of_rationality/4wqy), presumably because he thought it was funny.

Still, one could think there is not a huge difference between "heart's desire" and "coherent extrapolated volition" anyway, so it is not that unreasonable.

Comment author: gjm 24 February 2015 11:31:16AM 0 points [-]

We don't know that he took it from there. Note that his comment saying "Great idea!" was posted after the chapter in which he did it so it's clearly joking to some extent. For all we know, Eliezer may have had that plan long before pedanterrific said anything.