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Harry Potter And The Methods Of Rationality

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aRIS Neutral Evil Jerkass from R'lyeh Since: Jan, 2001
Neutral Evil Jerkass
#151: Jul 17th 2010 at 11:05:09 AM

How do I educated my children for maximum smarts and social skills from childhood? I mean without getting a Johan or a Stuart Mill?

Start teaching them as soon as possible. Experimentally proven by László Polgár.

edited 17th Jul '10 11:07:59 AM by aRIS

Live forever or die trying.
Pipman from Spin Zone Since: Jun, 2010
#152: Jul 18th 2010 at 4:17:38 PM

Lord of the Rational

A rationalist re-imagining of Frodo Baggins proves the ring has no power over anyone through tl dr math formulas in this boring exciting tale for ages 13 and up.

Frodo Makes Tom Bombadil cry then cease to exist, proves not only that Gandalf is a fifth level wizard but all his spells are parlor tricks made to prey on the ignorant, and finally Frodo is crushed into paste by Sauron so he can reclaim his ring and rule Middle-Earth for all eternity.

Does it get better after the first chapter?

edited 18th Jul '10 4:17:56 PM by Pipman

Ponicalica from facing Buttercup Since: May, 2010
TyrannoStorm Lord of ___ from GMT -7 Since: Jul, 2010
Lord of ___
#154: Jul 18th 2010 at 8:14:53 PM

@ Pipman

Aside from that I enjoyed this story. It was a lot of fun to read, and I enjoy the scientific diatribes. In my opinion that's what the author set out to do.

I hate quotes. Tell me what you know- Anonymous
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#156: Jul 25th 2010 at 4:00:09 AM

My word, there was some genuine tension in that last chapter.

What's precedent ever done for us?
Mapi "keionbu ni yokusou, nyan?" from Sakurakou Keionbu Since: Aug, 2011
"keionbu ni yokusou, nyan?"
#157: Jul 25th 2010 at 4:16:09 AM

This is a pretty interesting chapter. Zabini's got the fate of the winner in his wand hand.

My FF.net account
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#158: Jul 25th 2010 at 6:54:33 AM

The two of them weren't in the office but in another, deserted classroom, and they were alone; because, Colonel Zabini had said, it was now nearly certain that at least one of the captains was a traitor. Probably Captain Goldstein, but Zabini didn't know for sure.

It's Goldstein! The First Enemy of The Party!! How Could We Miss This One?

EDIT: My Hovercraft Is Full of Eels indeed!

EDIT 2: Ooooh, the Drill Penetration Technique... who the hell do you think Draco is?

EDIT 3: I AM LOST!!!! This is worse than Primer. Somebody please draw a diagram!

edited 25th Jul '10 8:24:50 AM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Ponicalica from facing Buttercup Since: May, 2010
#159: Jul 25th 2010 at 9:45:35 AM

How did I not realize that this whole thing is a sort of truel?

the future we had hoped for
Hylarn (Don’t ask)
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#161: Jul 25th 2010 at 2:45:00 PM

^^ Surely you'd mean a tertiel?

So?

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
Ponicalica from facing Buttercup Since: May, 2010
#162: Jul 25th 2010 at 6:17:08 PM

No, I mean truel, because that's what it's actually called in game-theoretic terms. Here's a page on them from LessWrong, a site created by the author of this story. In a truel, among other things, the least otherwise competent player is often in fact more likely to win.

the future we had hoped for
NowhereMan Since: Sep, 2009
#163: Jul 25th 2010 at 8:01:20 PM

^^^^Well, here's what happened as best I can figure out.

1) Before the game Blaise manages to convince both teams to wipe out sunshine as Sunshine. This keeps the two teams as even as possible, so they both end up executing their traitors as Sunshines, keeping Sunshine in the game long after they've been wiped out.

2) At the beginning of the battle, Blaise leaves with 6 other Sunshines who will defect to Dragon in the middle of the fight after the rest of Sunshine has been wiped out. This group includes Paravti Patil.

3) Harry has set an order not to attack either Blaise Zabini or Parvati Patil. With all the Sunshines dead, and safely members of dragon, no one has any reason to shoot at them, almost assuring they will both make it to the endgame.

4) Parvati assasinates and replaces her twin sister Padma, a high ranking member of Dragon.

5) The players alive at the endgame are Harry, Draco, Parvati disguised as Padma, and Blaise. Draco doesn't trust Blaise so he takes his wand, but turns his back on Parvati, and gets shot.

6) Harry celebrating his victory, turns his back on the two sunshines, and gets shot.

7) Blaise shoots Parvati, ostensibly because he doesn't trust her not to betray him. Blaise, now a Wild Card, does whatever the hell he wants.

Huge Batman Gambit to be honest, and I think it requires a bit more than 3 things to go right. Impressive though.

jebuz I've been Bluelinked from Australia Since: Jan, 2001
I've been Bluelinked
#164: Jul 26th 2010 at 5:27:14 AM

Hopefully Harry learned something out of all that. A game that chaotic is never over until there is no concievable way of losing. If people you trust could still betray you, you have not won. If you could be placed under the Imperius curse and forced to throw the game, you have not won. If the entire Sunshine army was only faking death, you have not won. Seems like an odd mistake for a meta-gamer to make, but I guess Harry is supposed to be rather stupid despite his knowledge base.

Draco using a plan that he thinks was made by Harry, then not considering that Harry wanted him to have it? That is why he can't win. Idiot.

Australia The country with a 2 party system But all the power with independents
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#165: Jul 26th 2010 at 9:42:20 AM

I still feel completely Left Behind, but game theory usually has this effect on me: htat's why I quit Liar Game.

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
OOZE Don't feed the plants! from Transsexual,Transylvania Since: Dec, 1969
Don't feed the plants!
#166: Jul 26th 2010 at 7:56:23 PM

I only have one problem with the fic so far, and it's this. What the main page lists as "kick the dog" seemed more like a Moral Event Horizon to me, and that clearly was not the intent of the author.

I'm feeling strangely happy now, contented and serene. Oh don't you see, finally I'll be, somewhere that's green...
jaimeastorga2000 Indeed Since: May, 2011
Indeed
#167: Jul 26th 2010 at 7:59:15 PM

Keep in mind Draco Malfoy hasn't actually done anything yet. It's more of a moral event horizon for his society that could bring him up that way than for the guy himself, who is only 11.

Legally Free Content
OOZE Don't feed the plants! from Transsexual,Transylvania Since: Dec, 1969
Don't feed the plants!
#168: Jul 26th 2010 at 8:01:46 PM

I guess you're right. Back to reading then (at Chapter 21)

I'm feeling strangely happy now, contented and serene. Oh don't you see, finally I'll be, somewhere that's green...
RawPower Jesus as in Revelations from Barcelona Since: Aug, 2009
Jesus as in Revelations
#169: Jul 27th 2010 at 4:34:25 AM

And Rose Of Versailles is even worse.

edited 27th Jul '10 4:34:56 AM by RawPower

'''YOU SEE THIS DOG I'M PETTING? THAT WAS COURAGE WOLF.Cute, isn't he?
TyrannoStorm Lord of ___ from GMT -7 Since: Jul, 2010
Lord of ___
#170: Jul 27th 2010 at 1:33:27 PM

The only problem I have with this story is Hermione. Her personality is two dimensional (SUPER SUNSHINE POWERS AND HAPPINESS AND CAREBEAR LESSONS AWAY!!!1) and she's just a dull character.

I hate quotes. Tell me what you know- Anonymous
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#171: Jul 27th 2010 at 2:59:21 PM

What weirded me out about the rape discussion was that it just seemed like the sort of thing that an eleven-year-old would not talk about in that manner. I mean, sure, I get that a kid of that age would happily fantasise about horrible things happening to other people, but that as your first choice? I'm just not seeing it.

Yeah, yeah, I know, weirdly unchildlike behaviour in Methods of Rationality, news at eleven, but it was one of the first and starkest examples I encountered from someone who wasn't Harry, which was what kind of threw me.

edited 28th Jul '10 11:12:51 PM by Iaculus

What's precedent ever done for us?
Ponicalica from facing Buttercup Since: May, 2010
#172: Jul 27th 2010 at 8:18:58 PM

Her personality is two dimensional (SUPER SUNSHINE POWERS AND HAPPINESS AND CAREBEAR LESSONS AWAY!!!1)
Of all the characters, Hermione? She's the one that got worried about playing second fiddle to Harry!

the future we had hoped for
Desertopa Not Actually Indie Since: Jan, 2001
Not Actually Indie
#173: Jul 28th 2010 at 9:56:07 PM

I'm not seeing it either, but I agree with Iaculus on the rape discussion; it just didn't sound like a characteristic thing for an eleven year old, even with Malfoy's upbringing, to say.

...eventually, we will reach a maximum entropy state where nobody has their own socks or underwear, or knows who to ask to get them back.
hungrybrain Since: Jun, 2010
#174: Jul 29th 2010 at 5:24:49 PM

I don't think much of what the main characters say is characteristic of 11 years old boys. Even if they're really smart. The awesomeness of the plot, as well as the fact that his fanfic is constrained by the novel where Harry just happens to go to school at that age, just increase my W So D on that matter.

Desertopa Not Actually Indie Since: Jan, 2001
Not Actually Indie
#175: Jul 30th 2010 at 9:52:12 PM

True, a lot of the stuff isn't characteristic of kids their age, but that was more a strain on my suspension of disbelief than most. It didn't flow well.

...eventually, we will reach a maximum entropy state where nobody has their own socks or underwear, or knows who to ask to get them back.

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