I suspect I’ve been nerdsniped by a wrong question somehow.
“What if X happened?” means “what if X happened, and the set of things I can and do think of when analyzing events in the implied context otherwise stayed the same?” This set doesn’t include a complete causal chain (and, since you’re a finite human, couldn’t possibly do so.)
“What if quantum computers could solve P-=NP?” doesn’t mean you should consider the effect that quantum computers have on other things because when you think about those other things your chain of reasoning normally won’t go all the way back to the relevant math and physics.
You could choose to go back to math and physics anyway, but by doing so you are misreading the question—the question implies “only go back as far as you normally would go.” You could also say “well, the implied context is ‘make deductions about math and physics’”, in which case yeah, it’s a good objection, but you may not be very good at reading implied contexts.
“What if X happened?” means “what if X happened, and the set of things I can and do think of when analyzing events in the implied context otherwise stayed the same?” This set doesn’t include a complete causal chain (and, since you’re a finite human, couldn’t possibly do so.)
“What if quantum computers could solve P-=NP?” doesn’t mean you should consider the effect that quantum computers have on other things because when you think about those other things your chain of reasoning normally won’t go all the way back to the relevant math and physics.
You could choose to go back to math and physics anyway, but by doing so you are misreading the question—the question implies “only go back as far as you normally would go.” You could also say “well, the implied context is ‘make deductions about math and physics’”, in which case yeah, it’s a good objection, but you may not be very good at reading implied contexts.
Interesting perspective, kinda reminds me of the ROME paper where it seems to only do “shallow counterfactuals”.