Phrased like this, I see what you’re getting at; but in my mind, I was describing extraordinary, but different events. Say, miracle cures and miracle plagues or whatever. A whole bunch of locusts and your aunt being cured of cancer most likely have different causes. In that case, you first have to postulate an entity which can summon a bunch of locusts. The actual summoning need not be magical or spontaneous in nature, only their appearance. So keeping a bunch of locusts hidden away whilst feeding them (somehow), before releasing them like a plague, would do.
This SAME entity then also needs the ability to cure cancer. To me, adding abilities like this incurs complexity penalties on a pretty big scale. Especially when you start adding other stuff and start scaling this influence over time (same entity responsible for actions many thousands of years ago and events now)
This SAME entity then also needs the ability to cure cancer. To me, adding abilities like this incurs complexity penalties on a pretty big scale.
This says that if you are, say, an Inca ruler and you hear about Spanish conquistadors, the fact that they can ride weird beasts AND shoot fire out of metal sticks AND do a lot of other supernatural-looking stuff implies that you should disbelieve their existence—probably not a good idea.
In general terms, the complexity penalties you’re are talking about are justified only if these different abilities are unrelated. But if, instead, all of them have a common cause (e.g. massive technological superiority), the penalties no longer apply.
Phrased like this, I see what you’re getting at; but in my mind, I was describing extraordinary, but different events. Say, miracle cures and miracle plagues or whatever. A whole bunch of locusts and your aunt being cured of cancer most likely have different causes. In that case, you first have to postulate an entity which can summon a bunch of locusts. The actual summoning need not be magical or spontaneous in nature, only their appearance. So keeping a bunch of locusts hidden away whilst feeding them (somehow), before releasing them like a plague, would do.
This SAME entity then also needs the ability to cure cancer. To me, adding abilities like this incurs complexity penalties on a pretty big scale. Especially when you start adding other stuff and start scaling this influence over time (same entity responsible for actions many thousands of years ago and events now)
This says that if you are, say, an Inca ruler and you hear about Spanish conquistadors, the fact that they can ride weird beasts AND shoot fire out of metal sticks AND do a lot of other supernatural-looking stuff implies that you should disbelieve their existence—probably not a good idea.
In general terms, the complexity penalties you’re are talking about are justified only if these different abilities are unrelated. But if, instead, all of them have a common cause (e.g. massive technological superiority), the penalties no longer apply.
I see.