From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Fri Jan 05 2001 - 15:47:11 MST
Okay, here's a more precise version.
1) Take the key from A. Do this at 5:44PM.
2) Unlock B. Do this at 5:45PM.
3) Take the key from B. Do this at 5:46PM.
4) Unlock A. Do this at 5:43PM.
Now, I want to say for the record that I actually *tried* this with two
locked boxes each containing the other's key, and it *worked*. I didn't
actually time it to the exact minute, and I had to reorder the steps
slightly since I didn't have a time machine, but I *did* it and it
*worked*, so I don't want to hear any further complaints.
No, I did not put one of the boxes inside the other one. No, I was not
standing inside either of the boxes. No, one of the boxes was not shaped
like a key to the other. And no, the boxes were not made of wood. But I
did check them, they were securely locked, and there was no way to get the
key out of either one without unlocking it. And this was in *real life*,
plain ol' physical reality, so you can be sure there were no meta-tricks
there.
-- -- -- -- --
Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/
Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
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