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entirelyuseless comments on Open thread 7th september - 13th september - Less Wrong Discussion
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Imagine that someone offers you a deal: a quantum random number generator will randomly display a message "WIN" or "LOSE". (The chances of each result are non-zero.) If it is "WIN", you will get million dollars. If it is "LOSE", you will be immediately killed painlessly in your sleep.
According to the Quantum Immortality hypothesis, you should take this deal, because in all quantum branches where you will exist you get million dollars, and the quantum branches where you don't exist are simply not your problem. So there is no downside to this bet. Do you agree?
If you said yes, imagine that there are two quantum random number generators available. One of them displays "WIN" with probability 99.99% and "LOSE" with probability 0.01%. The other displays "WIN" with probability 0.01% and "LOSE" with probability 99.99%. Do you have any preference at all about which of these two generators should be used in your case?
Given that I was 100% certain that Quantum Immortality is true and works like that, given that I was 100% certain of the other implicit assertions (e.g. you don't go to hell for committing suicide), and given that I was 100% certain of the mechanism working as stated (so that the killing mechanism doesn't maim rather than kill you or accidentally cause suffering in the process), then I would take the bet and have no preference over which of the two generators to use.
I am not, and never will be, 100% certain of any of those things.