[extropy-chat] Re: Bad Bayesian - no biscuit! (was A New Year's gift for Bayesians)

[Russell Wallace]

On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:24:54 -0500, Eliezer Yudkowsky
<sentience at pobox.com> wrote:
> Brett Paatsch wrote:
> > "No. No. No. You cheated Eliezer. You cheated!
> >
> > You can't assign a probability of zero!*
> >
> > Not fair!! You said it did happen. You're being dishonest with the
> > data to say it's not going to happen."
> 
> Yep, that's a traditional response.  :P
> 
> I was hoping for pretty much that reaction from my readers, who I assumed
> would be traditional rationalists.

Heh. My reaction was:

"Eh, dunno; I've read enough science fiction to come up with lots of
implausible explanations; in the unlikely event it actually happens,
I'll worry about looking for a more plausible one..."

*reads spoiler*

"...lol! Clever!"

Then again, I have bought lottery tickets on I think something like
three occasions, just for the hell of it. Don't know if either of
those disqualifies me as a traditional rationalist :)

- Russell