Random Rants

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Three Mental Puzzlers: Question #1

This isn't meant to be a trick question. Given the following dilemma, please explain your choice of one of the two possible outcomes.

Scenario :
You are standing on a path near two sets of train tracks. Far to your right, you see one track with 15 people performing maintenance on it. Far to your left, you see another track with 1 person performing maintenance on it. Striaght ahead, you see a train rapidly approaching on the track with the 15 people. Next to you is a track switch lever that would allow you to divert the train onto the other track with the one person. You are too far to visually or audibly notify any of the individuals.

Question:
Knowing that the train will hit and kill all of the individuals on the track that it travels on, do you pull the lever and cause the lone laborer to die, or do you allow the train to continue on its current track and kill all 15 laborers?

posted by Christopher C. Weis at 8:42 PM

8 Comments:

  • There's no way to switch the track in the middle of the train so it would hit all 16 people would there? By way of natural selection, if those 16 people didn't notice the train coming, then they really don't deserve to stay alive.. LOL.. maybe I'm just sadistically.

    By Blogger Wedge, at 11:01 AM  

  • I don't pretend to understand what you're saying here, but if others are confused about the logistics, I'll draw a picture. ;-)

    I'm actually going somewhere with these three questions (two have yet to be posted), so seriously, what would you do *given the two alternatives*?

    By Blogger Christopher C. Weis, at 12:26 PM  

  • I guess I have to kill the one...

    By Blogger Zach Malmgren, at 3:39 AM  

  • I would let the train kill the 16. If I touch the switch, I make a conscious effort to kill one person - if I let the train continue on its intended path, people die, but it would have happened anyway without my interference.

    Not that I'd be able to sleep at night, either way.

    By Blogger Lacie, at 11:58 PM  

  • I'd totally leave it be. I have to agree w/Lacie, if I messed with it, i made the conscious choice. Plus, who doesn't hear a damn train!

    By Blogger Oreo, at 5:43 PM  

  • As much as I agree with Wedge, if you're saying that can't divert the caboose to wipe out the lone person on the other track while the engine wipes out the 15, I'd switch it to hit the one.

    As far as not acting, that seems to be a cowards way out. Reminds me of the Democrats in congress...better to hide from the tough decisions and blame the guy who acts after the fact that act and save the lives of many.

    Really, this is a good analogy of the war. Bush is killing the 1 (the soldiers) so that the 15 (you and I) can live in relative peace. Sure, another train is probably going to come along at some point, but you hope by that time the 1 (or the next 1 that goes out there) has the track fixed so that we can divert the train to a clean track next time.


    It's been a month, Chris, where are the next 2 questions??

    By Blogger TennesseeJed, at 8:59 AM  

  • Ask and ye shall receive...

    By Blogger Christopher C. Weis, at 9:31 AM  

  • Hey, wait a minute. Why are they doing repairs on the track in the first place? are they replacing the lines? Is there something wrong with the alignment of the track? Why isn't anyone thinking of the train? How many people on the train could be hurt or killed by a derailment? Seriously!

    So if people were working on the tracks, there wouldn't be any trains coming due to the impact it could make on the train itself. I would look to see what type of "health" the tracks are in, and then choose that way.

    By Blogger G13, at 3:43 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home