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#331 – Balaji Srinivasan: How to Fix Government, Twitter, Science, and the FDA

Lex Fridman Podcast

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When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure

The use of prestigious scientists as a substitute for actual replication is an example of Goodhart's Law. Goodhart's Law states that when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure. This is because once people know that a measure is being used, they will start to game it. This cycle of gaming the measure occurs when the knowledge of the rules allows people to manipulate the measure. However, there are rare cases, like in Satoshi's Proof of Work, where the gaming of the measure is difficult. In these cases, the measure remains effective because people cannot exploit the game's rules.

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