erratim comments on How much does consumption affect production? - LessWrong

4 Post author: erratim 05 January 2015 03:51PM

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Comment author: erratim 08 January 2015 07:24:37PM 1 point [-]

That question seems to have a simple answer: your decision will not affect the long-term production of chicken.

OK, so I argue option A, you state option B, and the articles I link argue option C.

That is a much more complicated question

I agree it's a complicated question (in that it requires lots of information to answer precisely and accurately). If you had no empirical data to work with, what would be your best guess/expectation? Also if your answer is proportionally different than in the 'single chicken' case, I'd be curious to know why.

Comment author: Lumifer 09 January 2015 04:07:47PM 0 points [-]

If you had no empirical data to work with, what would be your best guess/expectation?

If I had no empirical data, I would not be making any guesses in this case.

Also if your answer is proportionally different than in the 'single chicken' case, I'd be curious to know why.

The "single chicken" case is below the noise floor. Empirically speaking, the consequences are undetectable. And for "many chicken", how many matters -- I don't think there is a straightforward linear case here.

Comment author: erratim 09 January 2015 10:18:31PM 1 point [-]

OK so you have no prior for large cases, you have no prior about the relationship between large cases and small cases, and your guess for small cases is "zero impact".

My prior for large cases is 1:1 impact, my prior is that the impact in large cases is proportionally similar to the impact in small cases, and therefore my prior for small cases is 1:1 impact.

Comment author: Lumifer 10 January 2015 03:34:05AM 0 points [-]

Let's be clear about distinguishing between the map and the territory. To what do your priors apply?