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Author Topic: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality  (Read 15914 times)

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silverspawn

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #50 on: June 03, 2016, 08:14:00 pm »
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I won't spoil anything but consistency is one of the most importent principles of the author.


               ...       

silverspawn

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #51 on: June 03, 2016, 08:15:26 pm »
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...... I stopped reading when I saw the initial reveal and didn't realize that it was a joke when I made the last post. whelp.

Seprix

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #52 on: June 03, 2016, 09:35:48 pm »
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In the same way that playing Guitar Hero is playing the guitar, yes.

No, in the same way that listening to Mozart's 40th symphony is listening to Mozart. You are very literally listening to Mozart if you're listening to his 40th symphony, much like you're very literally studying quantum mechanics if you're studying concepts of quantum mechanics. If you say that you were listening to Mozart last night, nobody thinks that you mean you listened to every single piece written by Mozart last night, they are probably going to assume that you just listened to his 40th symphony. Likewise, if you say that you were studying quantum mechanics last night, everyone will just assume that you studied a few basic concepts, not that you understand everything that there is to know about quantum mechanics now. If you say that you were playing the guitar last night and the truth is that you just played Guitar Hero, that statement is both factually false and misleading.

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eHalcyon

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #53 on: June 03, 2016, 09:40:55 pm »
+3

In the same way that playing Guitar Hero is playing the guitar, yes.

No, in the same way that listening to Mozart's 40th symphony is listening to Mozart. You are very literally listening to Mozart if you're listening to his 40th symphony, much like you're very literally studying quantum mechanics if you're studying concepts of quantum mechanics. If you say that you were listening to Mozart last night, nobody thinks that you mean you listened to every single piece written by Mozart last night, they are probably going to assume that you just listened to his 40th symphony. Likewise, if you say that you were studying quantum mechanics last night, everyone will just assume that you studied a few basic concepts, not that you understand everything that there is to know about quantum mechanics now. If you say that you were playing the guitar last night and the truth is that you just played Guitar Hero, that statement is both factually false and misleading.

You're missing a difference in context and wording.  What you're saying is accurate if the statement was "I was studying quantum mechanics".  That's not the statement though.  Here's what Kirian (mis)quoted:

"I taught myself quantum and nuclear physics last night"

Unlike your Mozart example, the context and wording here implies that the speaker started and finished the process in that one night.  If he had started earlier, he would say "I finished teaching myself".  If he had only started on some concepts but not finished, he would say "I taught myself some" or "I was teaching myself".  Or he would use the word you used, "I studied".  These subtle differences matter and convey different meanings.

And pacovf made this correction(?):

In any case, we are discussing a misquote. Tony Stark becomes takes one night to become an expert in "thermonuclear astrophysics". I don't even remember if that field was relevant to the discussion in the movie.

I can't fully remember what Stark said exactly, but he definitely implied (or maybe explicitly stated) that he became an expert in a highly advanced field in a single night.  And that's what people have been talking about.
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Awaclus

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #54 on: June 03, 2016, 10:34:40 pm »
+3

Unlike your Mozart example, the context and wording here implies that the speaker started and finished the process in that one night.  If he had started earlier, he would say "I finished teaching myself".  If he had only started on some concepts but not finished, he would say "I taught myself some" or "I was teaching myself".  Or he would use the word you used, "I studied".  These subtle differences matter and convey different meanings.

That's true and I should have even known that. Man, why do you need so many past tenses in English?

As far as me teaching myself physics is concerned, I did, however, somehow manage to use the "some" wording:

It's not that difficult to teach yourself some quantum mechanics or nuclear physics some random night though.
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Kirian

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #55 on: June 03, 2016, 11:18:07 pm »
+1

Unlike your Mozart example, the context and wording here implies that the speaker started and finished the process in that one night.  If he had started earlier, he would say "I finished teaching myself".  If he had only started on some concepts but not finished, he would say "I taught myself some" or "I was teaching myself".  Or he would use the word you used, "I studied".  These subtle differences matter and convey different meanings.

That's true and I should have even known that. Man, why do you need so many past tenses in English?

As far as me teaching myself physics is concerned, I did, however, somehow manage to use the "some" wording:

It's not that difficult to teach yourself some quantum mechanics or nuclear physics some random night though.

English only has one past tense.  We do have a bunch of what are called "aspects" that track time more thoroughly... it's one weird place where English is almost agglomerative.
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eHalcyon

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #56 on: June 03, 2016, 11:20:24 pm »
+1

Man, why do you need so many past tenses in English?

Eh, languages can't all be past perfect continuous.
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math

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #57 on: June 03, 2016, 11:24:28 pm »
+2

Based on the recommendations on this thread, I have started Harry Potter and the Natural 20, and I just finished the Philosopher's Stone section.  I'm really enjoying it so far.
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Awaclus

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #58 on: June 03, 2016, 11:53:18 pm »
+1

English only has one past tense.  We do have a bunch of what are called "aspects" that track time more thoroughly... it's one weird place where English is almost agglomerative.

Yeah, I didn't even know that they were technically not considered separate tenses (that's actually pretty cool to know) — the point is that we don't have them in Finnish.
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Calamitas

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #59 on: June 04, 2016, 07:34:23 am »
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Okay this is actually not just funny, but kind of amazing. Thanks for sharing it.
You're welcome ;)
What scene did you read last?
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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #60 on: June 04, 2016, 08:16:45 am »
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...... I stopped reading when I saw the initial reveal and didn't realize that it was a joke when I made the last post. whelp.
What was in there? :D
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silverspawn

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Re: Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality
« Reply #61 on: June 04, 2016, 09:10:01 am »
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...... I stopped reading when I saw the initial reveal and didn't realize that it was a joke when I made the last post. whelp.
What was in there? :D

I meant when the hat announced Harry was in Slitherin

Okay this is actually not just funny, but kind of amazing. Thanks for sharing it.
You're welcome ;)
What scene did you read last?

Don't remember which chapter it was. Something pre-Hogwarts
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