Outcome X is possible so long as its probability is not zero.you get fantastic fallacies.
Outcome X is impossible so long as its probability is not one.
If it is possible to gather Perfect Information,
Then probability will be absolute (zero or one).
Ergo, Outcome X is either possible or impossible.
If it is impossible to gather Perfect Information,
Then probability will be abstract (neither zero nor one).
Ergo, Outcome X is neither possible nor impossible.
Taking the probability of gathering Perfect Information to be neither zero nor one,
Perfect Information is neither possible nor impossible to gather.
Ergo, probability is neither absolute nor abstract.
Ergo, Outcome X is either impossibly possible or possibly impossible.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Law of Possible Impossibilities
this is what happens when you try some philosophy in the toilet...
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2 comments:
"Outcome X is possible so long as its probability is not zero."
- Correct.
"Outcome X is impossible so long as its probability is not one."
- Wrong.
Outcome X is impossible if and only if its probability is zero. Otherwise there's always a probability of it happening.
A probability of 0.0000000001 doesn't mean that something's impossible. :P
haha... sharp!
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