Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
A friend of mine, a psychology major at Local Uni, was assigned an essay for class where she had to go & interview people on a question. It's interesting enough where I think it'd work well here. So.
The question is:
Imagine that our country is under threat of imminent nuclear attack. A person approaches you and asks you to make an independent decision concerning a nearby fallout shelter that can accommodate only 6 people, but which has 13 people trying to get in. Based on the following information about the 13 people, which 6 would you choose to go into the shelter? The group includes:
a 40yo male violinist who is a suspected drug dealer
a 34yo male architect who is thought to be gay
a 26yo lawyer and the lawyer's 24yo wife who has just gotten out of a mental institution--they both insist to go in the shelter together or stay out together
a 75yo priest
a 34yo retired prostitute who was so successful that she's been living off her savings for five years
a 20yo "militant" black activist
a 23yo graduate student who has had several bouts of depression throughout her life
a 28yo physicist who will only come into the shelter if he can bring his gun with him
a 30yo female medical doctor who is a proud white supremacist
a 12yo girl who has a low IQ
a male who has been deaf since birth
a 30yo Hispanic female who is a healthy triathlete and an avowed atheist
Which six people should be allowed in the fallout shelter? What factors were most important to you in determining who should be protected in the shelter? Explain why those factors were most important.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
posted
Interesting. This is something that can only be decided from a purely logical, "needs of the many" point of view. (Of course, that's still a biased decision.) I'd say that the priorities for getting chosen to be in the shelter would boil down to practical ones: (1) health, and (2) contributions to survival and rebuilding.
Also, I'm going to assume that I don't get to pick myself.
The priest and the retired prostitute get nixed right away, the former because of his age, and the latter because of her sexual history. No use surviving if she spreads lots of STDs, right? Oh, and the drug dealer, too. (Although is this a "rumored" kind of suspected, or a "arrested and tried but not quite proven" kind of suspected?)
The doctor and the architect get first dibs, because they're most needed afterwards. (For obvious reasons, I hope.) Political views and sexual orientation don't enter into the equation, although hopefully if the architect is gay, he'd be willing to contribute to the propagation of the species anyway.
The grad student ant the triathlete would probably be my next choices. I can say from personal experience that depression is a perfectly natural part of many human lives, and nothing to disqualify her. And it certainly takes guts to keep on going through it... guts that she'll need in the aftermath. The triathlete, of course, is someone in prime physical condition.
I'd want to consider the lawyer and his wife, and know the reason for her institutionalization before deciding. However, I have a couple of higher priority choices:
The physicist would be chosen, because we'll probably need his gun (and his brain). My preference would be that he keeps his gun, but someone else keeps the ammo for the short term.
Despite the potentially nasty situation, my last choice would probably be the black guy. I'll admit, it's partially a form of affirmative action, but face it... this is the survival of the human race, and diversity in the gene pool will help ensure the continuation of the species. Also, his youthful energy will be valuable. And I have a feeling that the guy's cause c�l�bre won't be that important after the sky starts burning. And the doctor... well, she'll just have to get over it. If she doesn't like it, she can self-select herself out of the gene pool and decline to enter the shelter.
As for the deaf man isn't left out because of his condition, but simply because there are people with better qualifications. If I had more information about the his age, abilities, and expertise, I'd possibly want to reconsider. But sadly, I can only go based on what I'm given. The young mentally-handicapped girl, unfortunately, has probably the lowest chance of survival, primarily because she would be the least likely to be able to fend for herself in the aftermath. (The deaf guy, to a lesser extent, as well, but he's probably fully capable of fending for himself. Other people would have to take time to care for the girl.)
In the end, I realize what the overriding theme is... enforced eugenics. It all comes down to survival of the fittest, and choosing those most likely to survive (and to provide for the survival of others). What good would it be to choose people who might not be as capable, when they're more likely (I know I'm speaking speculatively, but that's all anyone could do) to succumb to some form of the hardship that's to come?
(Aside: To counter the likely argument that the grad student's depression should disqualify her for the same reason the deaf guy was, I would counter that depression is a much less absolute problem than deafness, and the fact that she's around indicates her drive and will to survive. As one survivor of depression once said, "Anybody who can overcome something like this is bound to be a better person in all aspects of life." Bias? Sure, but there's always bias.)
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
Well if it was a hollywood movie then the little girl would survive. There's always a kid at the end.
If it were a sitcom... The Prostitute, the Priest, the Gay guy, The black guy, the white woman doctor and the Hispanic chick - cause there is no black mama "hhhmmmmm hmmmmmmmm girrl friend!".
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Are you sure this isn't one of those logic puzzles, like the farmer who has to cross the river, but he can't leave the fox and the chicken together, or whatever?
Let's see. Can't put the Klan doctor in with the black person. Probably can't put the gun guy and the gay guy together. Certainly can't put the priest with the child. Hm...
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I too assumed that the '* 20yo "militant" black activist' was a man. But there is nothing given to indicate this. Like MinutiaeMan, I too tend to give preference to species propogation/health and skills over who will actually be able to psychologically handle life in a small (6 person bunker) for an indefinite (but likely extended) period of time. Anyway it is indeed an interesting question and I'd be curious about your friend's findings.
Registered: Sep 2000
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Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
There is no answer. It really was a psychology study.
-------------------- "The French have a saying: 'mise en place'—keep everything in its fucking place!"
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
To hell with the load of them; kick the closest one in the shin, lock the door behind you and put your feet up, smug in the knowledge that as the last human being the world finaly does revolve around you.
Did I pass?
-------------------- I have plenty of experience in biology. I bought a Tamagotchi in 1998... And... it's still alive.
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted
Pick numbers from a hat.
Registered: Jul 2002
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WizArtist II
"How can you have a yellow alert in Spacedock? "
Member # 1425
posted
This is the same thing as the old "Lifeboat" scenario that was being done in schools years ago. 12 people stranded at sea after their ship sinks, lifeboat only has supplies for 6 so who do you kill? Basicly its asking you to pass judgement on people which is really just a form of bigotry. I said: "Keep everyone and just half the rations" to which the teacher emphatically stated that was against the rules. HUH? Every option I brought up that would keep everyone he made up a reason why I couldn't i.e. "lifeboat is too small, none of them can swim, can't use my swiss army knife" etc. (Yes I ALWAYS have my good ol' knife with me ). This teacher would not be satisfied unless I made 6 people walk the plank. For the record, I got an "F" on this project and couldn't be more proud of it.
-------------------- There are 10 types of people in the world...those that understand Binary and those that don't.
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
"a 34yo retired prostitute who was so successful that she's been living off her savings for five years"
"a 30yo Hispanic female who is a healthy triathlete and an avowed atheist"
Has someone been reading my dreams?
Registered: Feb 2005
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Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
quote:Originally posted by The Ginger Beacon: To hell with the load of them; kick the closest one in the shin, lock the door behind you and put your feet up, smug in the knowledge that as the last human being the world finaly does revolve around you.
Did I pass?
Dammit! That's what I was gunna do!
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted
*You dont need a violinist or a drug dealer- scratch one.
*You dont need a 75 year old priest- God can watch over him.
*You sure as fuck dont need the black militant- "militants" likely started the war in the first place and he's probably be the last black guy on earth (making his POV even more irritating)- in a shelter- with you. Fuck that noise.
*The physicist and his gun can blow- nothing says "nutjob" like someone unable to part with a firearm- you really dont want anyone in your shelter having a gun: It'll be stressful enough without the threat of someone taking over via gun or going nuts with one.
*The doctor is out as well- it'd be great to have someone with her skills in there, but the White Superamisist thing needs to die along with most of civilization, besides, she probably would refuse to treat the hispanic athlete and she'sin.
*The woman with the history of depression is out too: she's be eternally depressed once everyone else is ashes, and probably the most likely to do something stupid (like pry open the shelter's door before it's safe).
Lastly, I'm excluding the deaf guy- not because he's deaf, but because there's only room in the shelter for six, and I'm sure as fuck not gonna die if I'm making the call!
That leaves myself, the married couple, a smart ex-hooker, the hispanic triathlete woman, and the architect.
It's kind of atoss-up between the Architect and the deaf guy- if the deaf guy were a deaf forest ranger of navy seal, of even a good mechanic, he's be chosen over the archetict- there's gonna be very slim chance of flexing those creative muscles anytime in the near future.
Assuming I'm radiation proof, or have my own swanky bunker to chill in, I'd bring the low-IQ girl in as well- nothng says she's retarded, just not very bright. There's lots of low-I.Q. people in the world that do just fine (just look at politics). Besides, after we emerge, we can always trade her for some food or something...
Some things to consider- there will be plenty of guns to go around after we emerge from the shelter- sporting goods stores are chock full of everything we'd need to get by in some forest or former National park that was not destroyed.(again, assumng fallout does not kill us slowly).
The other option is to befriend the physist, get his gun, herd all the women into the bunker with yourself and lock the door- that way you'd have all the food, the gun and all the women all to yourself. Awww yeah baby: make the most out of armageddon.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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