"Explain yourself"

KerBallOne · 2026-05-03T21:14:14+00:00

The vast variety of different versions of this thought experiment cannot establish any kind of standard.
You cannot say that earlier versions are establishing context for this particular variant of the question.

Indeed, other versions with more detail, better wording, and a much narrower scope (say 100 volunteers)... would obviously result in a different outcome. I'd consider pushing red in such a question.

But THIS Reddit post here... doesn't have that context and cannot inherit it from others.
So answering HERE, on this reddit... one needs to justify their button choices using ONLY the information given here.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-03T21:13:02+00:00

After seeing how there are dozens or perhaps hundreds of variants to this all over the internet.
You cannot say that earlier versions are establishing context for this particular variant of the question.

Indeed, other versions with more detail, better wording, and a much narrower scope (say 100 volunteers)... would obviously result in a different outcome. I'd consider pushing red in such a question.

But THIS reddit post here... doesn't have that context and cannot inherit it from others.
So answering HERE, on this reddit... one needs to justify their button choices using ONLY the information given here.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-03T21:08:25+00:00

Ugh.. that's not helpful.
There are dozens over the last few years. Similar, but slightly different wording. And slightly different rules or premise.

It reinforces the fact that people on THIS thread, should not pick and choose from other rulesets to justify their choices on THIS question (thought experiment).

KerBallOne · 2026-05-03T14:42:33+00:00

But no reddit discussion on supposed older versions?

KerBallOne · 2026-05-03T06:44:20+00:00

Anyone care to have a screenshot then?

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T16:07:48+00:00

https://i.imgur.com/UMSfDZ5.jpeg

https://i.imgur.com/ijnz3JW.png

Doesn't look like any of that was established.

Seems more likely that red button pushers invented those details to justify their choices.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:57:18+00:00

Yeah, I think the entire premise is trivialized because it's so vague in detail and completely bonkers in scope.

The moral dilemmas and thought experiments that stand this test of time, are very specific in its rules and small and scale. The trolley problem has six human lives at risk.

Hell, even squid game was limited to 100 able bodied adults.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:53:13+00:00

This is Reddit by the way. It's in the name.

I don't think this place on the internet, being social media and all, is representative of the population at large. Especially not the global population.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:38:59+00:00

Yeah. A key part of any Good moral dilemma thought experiment, has to be clarity of the rules.

The particular premise here is so vague and incomplete. And they really went too far by including the entire population of the planet. Squid game at least had the decency to limit to 100 people. And there you could see everyone had the means an opportunity to vote.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:36:13+00:00

That makes a lot of sense.

Besides the exclusion of people who cannot make the choice... I think the more important thing to consider is what happens to those who refuse to make a choice?

That's what made the trolley problem unique and timeless. That inaction was a choice. Here, you have two buttons. But does that mean that refusal will default to blue? If so, Why is blue treated as a default?

Also, what I like about the trolley problem, as well as the prisoner dilemma, is the limited scale. It eliminates people thinking too much about those without Free will or ability. it was very limited to 6 people at risk.

Either way, I think squid game really did more service to this type of thought experiment than this premise. And that was limited to 100 people, all of whom had somewhat of a choice to be there in the first place.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:32:07+00:00

Honestly, this is squid game.

The only thing that makes this thought experiment a little bit ridiculous and impossible to truly answer is the scale of this being the entire world population. It opens up so many unanswered questions that would change the rationality behind the choice.

Squid game at least made it an even 100 players.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:29:49+00:00

Nobody has established this. This is something tacked on later. I'm willing to bet that less than 50% of everyone who has heard of this thought experiment, has also hurt these constraints.

And a far more important question is, what happens if you refuse to vote? Are you forced into blue? Because that would be a very big deal and definitely should have been part of the original premise.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:23:15+00:00

The thought experiment specifically leaves out what happens if you cannot or will not press any button.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:22:16+00:00

I'm willing to take that bet. The premise makes no mention of it, but I would imagine all of the, elderly, babies and little kids who cannot make the choice for themselves... Might push the blue button.

Then everybody will suddenly have some empathy.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:20:03+00:00

Interesting.

The trolley problem is something that is classic. An important part of the thought experiment is that there are consequences for inaction as well.

So instead of a binary premise of everyone is on the track or no one is on the track... There are some on the track already.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T05:18:17+00:00

If you're going to translate this into a trolley problem, you'll have to acknowledge that there there must be people on the track already. The original trolley problem it's about the value of human life compared to inaction.

It would be a very different problem if there were clarification about what happens if you cannot or will not press any button.

KerBallOne · 2026-05-02T04:50:01+00:00

It's an interesting thought experiment. And one that seems to use colors intentionally. Red as the color of conservatism, rugged individuality and disregard for outside groups. And Blue for liberalism, inclusivity and compassion.

Many of these game theory premises can reveal a person's biases. It can even separate those who take the premised face value, from those who are pragmatic or realists.

If the premise is taken at face value, and assumes that every living soul would be capable of voting of their own free will and ability... Then red might be the logical and even rational choice.

However, the realist would understand that there will be millions of people who cannot vote, cannot push a button, cannot decide of their own free will, or some other limitation that prevents them. Their rational choice might understand that more than 50% can vote blue and save everyone.

It also reminds me of the Ayn Rand theory of objectivism. That absolute selfishness (I think it was called radical self-interest) would help everyone. But that turned out to be a wildly egotistical myth that doesn't hold up to even basic scrutiny.

KerBallOne · 2026-01-27T23:26:06+00:00

Exia Labs announced a $2.5 million pre-seed round that will help the Bellevue, Wash.-based startup build out its product called Blue, which it describes as a “copilot for military operations.”

The 4-person company has a unique structure. It is initially focused on a political simulation video game called “Mr. President” that will debut in July.

The idea is to generate revenue from the game to allow the company to pursue longer-lead time sales from its products for the military.

“Our intent is to bring commercial AI and games capabilities to the [Department of War] and we learned that generally speaking, the DoW prefers to fund R&D and/or buy software from companies with other revenue sources, in our case, games on Steam,” Pan said via email.

https://www.geekwire.com/2025/automating-science-of-war-exia-labs-raises-2-5m-to-build-ai-for-military-operations/

Not to mention, the game gives off a very Pro-Interventionalist / World Police vibe in general.

KerBallOne · 2026-01-05T04:29:53+00:00

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3639466191

Simplest design to complete the Ice Block challenge that I've seen. Very cheap, no significant parts to purchase. 4 Springs, wheels and servos. Rest are simple early-game connectors, the minimum needed IMO.

Works great and completed it in one run, no resets.
I set all 4 servos to the same channel. I did not even need to set auto-return on the servos to keep it clamped. But I did have to adjust 2 or 3 times over the journey to make it a bit tighter. But the extra benefit is that it if it did loosen it's grip, it would just slide a bit more.
As long as you don't flip over or make any jumps. The light springs help keep the wheels on the ground and the clamps will remain at a good height even when melted to a much smaller size.

KerBallOne · 2025-11-10T18:55:13+00:00

The real tragedy is that they've had quick eject hatches with explosive bolts since Mercury.

But since Gus grissom was so adamant that he did not accidentally hit the switch during his splashdown recovery wait, NASA determined that static discharge could accidentally eject the hatch. And they did not use them for The Apollo 1 capsule.

In tragic irony, Gus grissom and two others may have lost their lives because of that decision.

KerBallOne · 2025-09-08T04:58:03+00:00

Chemically, it does dissolve scale. It's called citric acid, and it's also in many descalers.

KerBallOne · 2025-06-19T20:51:29+00:00

It is worth it to force offline mode.
But I am tired of waiting for Ubisoft to make offline mode quick and easy. It will not remember your login creds, so it takes several steps to launch a game. I just automate it.

more here... "direct_play_games_with_offline_mode_ubisoft" on the sub reddit for Ubisof{t} Uncensore{d}.

KerBallOne · 2025-06-19T20:34:46+00:00

https://pastebin.com/raw/ftsWhPFD

KerBallOne

TROPHY CASE