Difference between revisions of "Scope insensitivity"
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==Blog posts== | ==Blog posts== | ||
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*[http://lesswrong.com/lw/hx/one_life_against_the_world/ One Life Against the World] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | *[http://lesswrong.com/lw/hx/one_life_against_the_world/ One Life Against the World] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | ||
*[http://lesswrong.com/lw/kn/torture_vs_dust_specks/ Torture vs. Dust Specks] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | *[http://lesswrong.com/lw/kn/torture_vs_dust_specks/ Torture vs. Dust Specks] by [[Eliezer Yudkowsky]] | ||
Revision as of 22:30, 25 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.
