Re: Infinite universe

From: Simon Gordon (sim_dizzy@yahoo.com)
Date: Tue Apr 29 2003 - 14:27:01 MDT


 --- "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" wrote:
> Yes, the trouble with Tegmark is that it can drive
> people insane unless
> they understand how decision theory transfers over
> into very large or
> infinite universes.
> You cannot, of course, cause evil, monstrous acts to
> stop existing.
> Everything exists. However, you can try to give
> evil, monstrous acts a
> very low measure - decrease their subjective
> probability in the futures of
> most sentients.

Indeed. I expect in the future, many beings will want
brain implants (or additional software algorithms if
they happen to be uploaded), which will block their
knowledge and understanding of Tegmarks level IV
multiverse - perhaps just for some temporary comfort
and peace of mind, or perhaps it will be necessary in
very advanced beings in order that they can remain
sane while maintaining their useful mainstay emotions
such as compassion and empathy.

> What matters is not whether something "exists" or
> "does not exist" but its
> subjective conditional probability.

Yes, to YOU, the subject, those probabilities matter.
But the point is that those horrible things DO and
MUST happen, and however small the quantity of those
subjective scenarios relative to the other scenarios,
that fact doesnt help those poor beings that have to
endure the unimaginable tortures and suffering that
necessarily occur as the theory predicts.

__________________________________________________
Yahoo! Plus
For a better Internet experience
http://www.yahoo.co.uk/btoffer



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Jul 17 2013 - 04:00:42 MDT