[extropy-chat] Role of Observer is not Relevant

[gts]

On Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:22:17 -0400, Jef Allbright <jef at jefallbright.net>  
wrote:

> I would certainly infer that there are stars beyond our observation,
> and (if Gordon gts wasn't watching)...

heh. :)

> ... I would apply the Principle of
> Indifference and infer that their properties are distributed similar
> to the stars that we do observe.

No need here for the Principle of Indifference. The principle is useful  
only in those rare cases in which one has zero prior information, as when  
one is in a state of total ignorance about the nature and properties of  
stars. Obviously that is not the case here.

In your inference above, you're extrapolating from the known to the  
unknown based on empirical data. If the purpose of your inference is to  
set a bayesian prior then you are proceeding as would an empirical  
bayesian.

-gts