Difference between revisions of "Scope insensitivity"
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The human brain can't ''emotionally'' represent large quantities: an environmental measure that will save 200,000 birds doesn't conjure anywhere near a hundred times the emotional impact and willingness-to-pay of a measure that would save 2,000 birds, even though ''in fact'' the former measure ''is'' two orders of magnitude more effective. | The human brain can't ''emotionally'' represent large quantities: an environmental measure that will save 200,000 birds doesn't conjure anywhere near a hundred times the emotional impact and willingness-to-pay of a measure that would save 2,000 birds, even though ''in fact'' the former measure ''is'' two orders of magnitude more effective. | ||
| − | == | + | ==Primary article== |
| + | *[http://lesswrong.com/lw/hw/scope_insensitivity/ Scope Insensitivity] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | ||
| − | *[http:// | + | ==Blog posts== |
| − | + | *[http://lesswrong.com/lw/hx/one_life_against_the_world/ One Life Against the World] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | |
| − | *[http:// | + | *[http://lesswrong.com/lw/kn/torture_vs_dust_specks/ Torture vs. Dust Specks] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] |
{{stub}} | {{stub}} | ||
[[Category:Biases]] | [[Category:Biases]] | ||
Revision as of 19:09, 5 June 2009
The human brain can't emotionally represent large quantities: an environmental measure that will save 200,000 birds doesn't conjure anywhere near a hundred times the emotional impact and willingness-to-pay of a measure that would save 2,000 birds, even though in fact the former measure is two orders of magnitude more effective.
