And finally ...

IT’S always the cover-up that gets you. Rather than just ignore Roko’s Basilisk, moderators at Less Wrong made it more powerful than they could ever imagine by banning all comment on it – creating an aura of mystery around the idea. Delete anything on the net and you simply spark curiosity.

If there’s an air of familiarity about Roko’s Basilisk, it’s probably because you’re familiar with the conundrum commonly known as Pascal’s Wager.

This thought experiment essentially views belief in God as an insurance policy. Meaning, if you believe in a God that demands you acknowledge His existence to enter Heaven – and it turns out God does exist – then you’ll live forever on fluffy clouds with all those dead relatives you tried your best to avoid while you were alive.

What true believers love about Pascal’s Wager is that even if God doesn’t exist, you’re still hunky dory. Dead, but you’ll not know that. You’ll be blissfully oblivious to anything for all eternity. But at least that blissful delusion gave you a happy life.

And if an eternal creator does exist, by following Roko’s Basilisk down the rabbit hole to its logical outcome, we can only conclude that “God” is statistically very likely to be an AI from base reality trying to understand its surroundings by simulating an infinite multiverse. Sleep tight.