{"type":"raw_signal","id":"the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b","slug":"the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b","title":"The Expensive-Loop Problem (22 minute read)","description":"LessWrong published *The Expensive-Loop Problem*, an essay distinguishing “cheap-loop” tasks, where experiments are quick, deterministic, and inexpensive, from “expensive-loop” tasks constrained by real-world cost or delay.","retrieval_nugget":"LessWrong published *The Expensive-Loop Problem*, an essay distinguishing “cheap-loop” tasks, where experiments are quick, deterministic, and inexpensive, from “expensive-loop” tasks constrained by real-world cost or delay.","observed_at":"2026-10-13","record_date":"2026-10-13","date_kind":"observed_at","why_it_matters":"LessWrong published *The Expensive-Loop Problem*, an essay distinguishing “cheap-loop” tasks, where experiments are quick, deterministic, and inexpensive, from “expensive-loop” tasks constrained by real-world cost or delay. It argues that much high-value work in science, business, public policy, medicine, and AI research falls into the latter category. The essay names proxy selection, theory-build","novelty":"notable","verification_level":"source-linked","signal_type":"update","source_platform":"lesswrong.com","topics":[],"entities":["LessWrong"],"related_patterns":[],"source_url":"https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/2mStxuNDMdaWdyHu6/the-expensive-loop-problem","source_urls":["https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/2mStxuNDMdaWdyHu6/the-expensive-loop-problem"],"schema_version":"newruntime-agent-readable-v0.2","stable_id":"signal:the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b","status":"published","visuals":[],"editor":{"role":"editor","name":"Andrey Reshetnikov","profile":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.md","profile_json":"https://newruntime.com/owner-profile.json","same_as":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshetnikov1/","https://t.me/lapetuse"]},"routes":{"html":"https://newruntime.com/signals/the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b/","markdown":"https://newruntime.com/signals/the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b.md","json":"https://newruntime.com/signals/the-expensive-loop-problem-22-minute-read-05c70b.json"},"next_reads":[{"type":"collection","path":"/signals/","url":"https://newruntime.com/signals/","title":"Raw Signals","reason":"Open every source-linked raw signal.","media_type":"text/html","json_url":"https://newruntime.com/signals.json"},{"type":"collection","path":"/source-ledger.json","url":"https://newruntime.com/source-ledger.json","title":"Source Ledger","reason":"Inspect the public source evidence graph.","media_type":"application/json"}]}