Naturally decided to check out the author's home page: https://neal.fun/
Super cool projects and visualizations, particularly really enjoyed https://neal.fun/deep-sea/ and https://neal.fun/printing-money/
Absurd Trolley Problems
161–170 of 951 posts
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#162These trolley problems are the stuff of nightmares wherein one becomes a world leader.
If all outcomes are horrible, then your lever pulls or inactions will always be subject to valid condemnation. If you take a risk, you are judged by the outcome, not whether your choice was a good calculation.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#163>Oh no! Due to a construction error, a trolley is stuck in an eternal loop. If you pull the lever the trolley will explode, and if you don't the trolley and it's passengers will go in circles for eternity. What do you do? 50% of people pull the lever?!? I hereby declare that if I'm ever going to be stuck in a trolley for my entire life, I do NOT want the lever pulled. Toss me a smartphone charger and my life wouldn't…
I pulled the lever. I didn't want to condemn the passengers to an eternity of monotony.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#164Can't believe how many people would prefer condemning passengers to an eternal trolley ride than explode them. True evil right there
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#165I'm surprised to see the popular answer to Question 3. > Oh no! A trolley is heading towards 5 people. You can pull the lever to divert it to the other track, but then your life savings will be destroyed. What do you do? Over 70% chose to pull the lever and destroy their life savings. People die of preventable causes in developing countries today. By choosing not to donate your life savings today to help them, you ar…
I think a lot of people would pay money in the situation. You sending money to someone whose suffering you never even saw in Guinea and never hearing whether it helped is indeed a different thing than this trolly problem.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#166The thing is that when you pull the level, you're interfering so you're the cause of the consequence after pulling the lever. If you don't pull the lever, you're not responsible for what happens, at least in my opinion. That's why in the basic case of a trolley heading towards 5 people or 1 person, I wouldn't pull the level no matter what because at least the deaths of the 5 people aren't my fault, but the death of t…
I will take action to save myself. I will not take action to decide between others.
Apart from stupid cat problem...
This kinda misses the mirror problems, where out comes are switched.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#167The thing is that when you pull the level, you're interfering so you're the cause of the consequence after pulling the lever. If you don't pull the lever, you're not responsible for what happens, at least in my opinion. That's why in the basic case of a trolley heading towards 5 people or 1 person, I wouldn't pull the level no matter what because at least the deaths of the 5 people aren't my fault, but the death of t…
Apparently we’re in the minority together. Cynically (and practically) there’s also the legal side to think about. If you cause a person to be killed by a trolley, you will at minimum be sued into oblivion. If you do nothing no legal case can realistically be levied against you. Edit: a fun part of the trolley problem not really explored here is how inconsistent most people’s logic gets when the outcomes are effectiv…
Isn't a standard alternative, you can push a very fat man on the track and derail the trolley. All of a sudden a lot less people are willing to sacrifice the fat man.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#168>Oh no! Due to a construction error, a trolley is stuck in an eternal loop. If you pull the lever the trolley will explode, and if you don't the trolley and it's passengers will go in circles for eternity. What do you do? 50% of people pull the lever?!? I hereby declare that if I'm ever going to be stuck in a trolley for my entire life, I do NOT want the lever pulled. Toss me a smartphone charger and my life wouldn't…
* Hook up the trolley to a massive generator set and get free energy. Use the free energy to solve global warming and the energy crisis. * Study the science behind the infinitely reliable trolley. If the science is tractorable then humanity wins. * How are the people prevented from leaving the trolley? New science? * Is the trolley just a thought experiment? Then we can think about other solutions. * Is the trolley s…
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#169Kill count: 84 Apparently I solved philosophy? Im gonna assume that title stays the same for everyone lol. So, explanation for why so high. Simply put; I don't believe 5 people really got tied to those rails each time. They are in on it somehow. If so, that is sick and twisted they would tie someone else to the rails purposely. So they deserve the trolley instead. Now on the chance that they really are all innocent;…
Not a high total at all. I scored 97.
If there is a hell, I guess I'll be going there.
Re: Absurd Trolley Problems
#170I'm surprised to see the popular answer to Question 3. > Oh no! A trolley is heading towards 5 people. You can pull the lever to divert it to the other track, but then your life savings will be destroyed. What do you do? Over 70% chose to pull the lever and destroy their life savings. People die of preventable causes in developing countries today. By choosing not to donate your life savings today to help them, you ar…
You are discounting the simple possibility that 70% of respondents do not have any significant "life savings" to speak of.
Not to mention a lot of people measure account their wealth in more than just money.
Reminds me of Richard Posner, former Chief Justice of the Seventh Appelate court. His essay on how poor people have no wealth so you need the threat of prison to keep them in line. And how middle class people you only need the threat of impoverishment to keep them in line. So you can just fine them. And wealthy people only need the threat of loss of reputation to keep them in line.
Which is to say Posner is an idiot that knows nothing of poor people. Because all an honest poor person owns is his reputation. Where Musk... when you are that wealthy someones always going to overlook your transgressions.