Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality 14 – The Unknown and the Unknowable
Jul 14, 2011
Harry Potter presents his innovative ideas for exploring the Chamber of Secrets. Professor McGonagall offers Harry a large number of House Points, but he declines. McGonagall gives Harry a special magical necklace. Harry expresses concerns about the dangers of using a time-turner. They discuss anthropic bias, computer simulations, and the limitations of Turing machines.
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Bring Dangerous Findings To Authorities
- Report serious magical risks to responsible adults rather than acting alone.
- Coordinate with Professor McGonagall and specialists before investigating dangerous artifacts.
Follow Time-Turner Safety Rules
- Use time-turners only within their safety limits and follow official guidance from Minerva McGonagall.
- Avoid attempting large jumps, and follow watch-sync rules to prevent confusing interactions with your past self.
Causal Loops Create Backwards Explanations
- Causal loops can make effects precede apparent causes while preserving global consistency.
- Harry understands the prank caused impulses that only made sense in a self-consistent time loop.