thought experiment
considering hypothesis, theory, or principle for the purpose of thinking through its consequences
lifeboat ethics
metaphor for resource distribution
Galileo's ship
set of Experiments concerning the Earth's rotation
intuition pump
thought experiment structured to allow the thinker to use their intuition to develop an answer to a problem
AI capability control
hypothetical isolated computer hardware system where a possibly dangerous artificial intelligence is kept constrained in a virtual prison and not allowed to manipulate events in the external world
Renninger negative-result experiment
thought experiment about wave function collapse and measurement in quantum mechanics
The Monkey and the Hunter
simple physics model illustrating free fall
grey goo
hypothetical end-of-the-world scenario
Twin Earth thought experiment
thought experiment by philosopher Hilary Putnam
Chinese room
thought experiment arguing that a computer cannot exhibit "understanding"
Darwinian Demon
hypothetical organism that reproduces directly after being born, produces infinitely many offspring, and lives indefinitely
stellar engine
theoretical megastructure
reverse sprinkler
physics thought experiment popularized by Richard Feynman, consisting of a sprinkler-like device which is submerged in a tank and made to suck in the surrounding fluid
Hardy's paradox
thought experiment in quantum mechanics in which a particle and its antiparticle may interact without annihilating each other
Heinz dilemma
Ethical thought experiment
utility monster
thought experiment critiquing utilitarianism
original position
state of nature where individuals determine the structure of society ignorant of their position
Pen's parade
economics thought experiment: a succession of every person in the economy, with their height proportional to their income, and ordered from lowest to greatest
paperclip maximizer
thought experiment to illustrate existential risk posed by artificial intelligence
Happiness pump
a thought experiment in ethics
prisoner's dilemma
canonical example of a game analyzed in game theory
quantum immortality
thought experiment in which one plays Russian roulette with the trigger connected to the Geiger counter measuring the decay of a radioactive atom
experience machine
thought experiment about a machine that provides any pleasurable experience one wants
The Missing Shade of Blue
counterexample to Hume's thesis that every idea is generated by sensory experience: if someone had seen most shades of blue except for one particular kind, they can nevertheless conceive of it by interpolation
Silurian hypothesis
assessment of modern science's ability to detect evidence of a prior advanced civilization