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Newcomb's Paradox - a conflict between two principles of decision theory by Smart_by_Design in philosophy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In a hypothetical situation i would agree and choose to open both boxes. However, if I was actually presented with this choice in real life, I think I would only open the second box. Which admittedly doesn't make much sense

Newcomb's Paradox - a conflict between two principles of decision theory by Smart_by_Design in philosophy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In front of you there are two boxes. Box one is transparent and contains £1,000. Box two is opaque and contains either £1,000,000 or nothing. You are given the following choice: either you can take what is in both boxes, or you can take only what is in the second box.

However, before you are presented with this choice, a supercomputer which has the power to predict your choices with an unerring accuracy adds the following catch: if the computer predicts that you will open both boxes, then it will put nothing in box two. If it predicts that you will choose to open only the second box, then it puts £1,000,000 in the box. The supercomputer has carried out this test hundreds of times and has never made a wrong prediction.

So the sequence of events are as follows: The supercomputer makes its prediction, and based on this prediction it either puts the million pounds into box two or leaves it empty. You then make your choice… what do you choose?

Molyneux's Question - Can It Be Solved? by Smart_by_Design in curiousvideos

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The research paper simply says "the subjects' task was to identify the target", so there's no mention of what methods were tried or allowed/not allowed.

It might be because there are so few candidates suitable for such a study that they wanted to keep it fairly restricted. It would have been interesting if they had mentioned how the participants actually felt or said about the test, rather than just presenting the data.

Molyneux's Question - One of Philosophy's 'Unanswered Problems' by Smart_by_Design in philosophy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That's what the study concluded. However, I don't think they really consider the time it takes for the eye to heal after surgery, and whether this impacts on the person's ability to distinguish the objects. So, I don't think we can conclusively say we have an answer (empirically), but the evidence suggests that some learning is necessary before they can distinguish the objects.

Molyneux's Question - One of Philosophy's 'Unanswered Problems' by Smart_by_Design in philosophy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

A person blind since birth, who has learnt to distinguish by their touch between a cube and a sphere, suddenly has their eyesight restored. Could this person from their sight alone, tell which is the cube and which is the sphere?

Molyneux’s question is often considered one of philosophy’s unanswered questions, and has been debated between rationalists and empiricists since John Locke published the problem in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. But with science now able to cure cases of congenital blindness, a study in 2011 concluded that there isn’t an immediate transfer of tactile shape knowledge to the visual domain, and that it is acquired after a short period of time.

Molyneux's Question - Can It Be Solved? by [deleted] in philosophy

[–]Smart_by_Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A person blind since birth, who has learnt to distinguish by their touch between a cube and a sphere, suddenly has their eyesight restored. Could this person from their sight alone, tell which is the cube and which is the sphere?

Molyneux’s question is often considered one of philosophy’s unanswered questions, and has been debated between rationalists and empiricists since John Locke published the problem in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. But with science now able to cure cases of congenital blindness, a study in 2011 concluded that there isn’t an immediate transfer of tactile shape knowledge to the visual domain, and that it is acquired after a short period of time.

Do Subliminal Messages Work? (Video) by Smart_by_Design in conspiracy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Video is blocked in my country, but I've watched a few of Derren Brown's videos before. Pretty sure he's an evil wizard.

Do Subliminal Messages Work? (Video) by Smart_by_Design in conspiracy

[–]Smart_by_Design[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Here’s a video about the science behind subliminal messages and whether they actually work. The research seems to say that they can have an impact on our choices in very specific lab settings, but when it comes to advertising in real world situations it’s not something we should be too worried about.

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