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comment by Richard_Kennaway · 2012-08-09T08:15:12.141Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Behold the power of secrecy to inflame the thirst for knowledge!

Replies from: cousin_it

↑ comment by cousin_it · 2012-08-09T08:33:59.909Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

So the basilisk is a clever ploy by Eliezer to tempt people into the bayesian conspiracy? Thanks for helping me connect the dots :-)

comment by Oscar_Cunningham · 2012-08-09T12:05:09.652Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Downvoted, because short posts with no information content (in particular short questions) belong in the open thread.

comment by ewang · 2012-08-09T16:04:15.094Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

The basilisk is, in short, a piece of information that describes the terrible things that would happen to you if you knew that piece of information.

↑ comment by Manfred · 2012-08-09T14:34:51.377Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Not necessarily. It could be like the Trolley problem, where committing to counterfactually punishing the one saves the many. If it was effective it would be a problem - the trouble with is is that it can be defeated by simply saying "no thanks."

↑ comment by wedrifid · 2012-08-09T09:29:42.476Z · LW(p) · GW(p)

Is "it's made out of math" a sufficient basis to have these in separate magisteria?

Yes. They are each to be ridiculed on their own merit!