[SEQ RERUN] Should We Ban Physics?

post by MinibearRex · 2012-07-08T06:50:48.724Z · LW · GW · Legacy · 4 comments

Today's post, Should We Ban Physics? was originally published on 21 July 2008. A summary (taken from the LW wiki):

 

There is a chance, however remote, that novel physics experiments could destroy the earth. Is banning physics experiments a good idea?


Discuss the post here (rather than in the comments to the original post).

This post is part of the Rerunning the Sequences series, where we'll be going through Eliezer Yudkowsky's old posts in order so that people who are interested can (re-)read and discuss them. The previous post was Existential Angst Factory, and you can use the sequence_reruns tag or rss feed to follow the rest of the series.

Sequence reruns are a community-driven effort. You can participate by re-reading the sequence post, discussing it here, posting the next day's sequence reruns post, or summarizing forthcoming articles on the wiki. Go here for more details, or to have meta discussions about the Rerunning the Sequences series.

4 comments

Comments sorted by top scores.

comment by DanielLC · 2012-07-08T23:25:42.314Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

My father is fond of saying that if the automobile were invented nowadays, the saddle industry would arrange to have it outlawed.

As opposed to the train industry, who tried to have them outlawed as it was?

comment by shminux · 2012-07-08T07:23:34.995Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

I am not sure what the purpose of the original post was. It asks questions that have no answers.

Replies from: RolfAndreassen, Luke_A_Somers
comment by RolfAndreassen · 2012-07-08T18:20:36.042Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Certainly there are answers: You either ban physics experiments, or not. So in actual fact, as opposed to airy theory, we have chosen "No, we do not ban physics".

comment by Luke_A_Somers · 2012-07-08T11:48:29.959Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Which ones? The stuff with the Tegmark type 4 universe?