3 million dollars USD vs Pandas

[NeuPolska]

Told you. These scenarios only work in a magic fantasy land.

Someone doesn't like philosophical hypotheticals

Anyway I do, and I say I'd prefer pandas to continue existing. They're big, fluffy, and they sit around eating bamboo and napping. I would feel eternally guilty about taking the money even if nobody knew but me. I'd probably wind up hanging myself after a year. Besides, I could probably blow through the three million pretty quick.

[Infected Mushroom]

Didn't you make a similar thread about a different offer (if I recall correctly, giving up the right to vote)? I can't help but think you're trying to write some sort of paper on human rationality.

I do not go about knowingly causing irreparable (or at least non-compensable) harms. I'll keep the pandas and make my $3 million through good old fashioned slaving away in an office cubicle.

that was over a year ago (at least)

Its scary to think how much time has passed

[Diopolis]

If I take the money, do I get to eat the pandas?

you can't eat what has vanished

Do I get a book deal about the vanishing pandas?

[Ifreann]

you can't eat what has vanished

Do I get a book deal about the vanishing pandas?

"Didn't There Used To Be Pandas?", the latest best-seller from Diopolis.

[Zamasu]

Pandas.

[The Grande Republic 0f Arcadia]

I would take the money to piss of PETA and so many people.

[Octagonalia]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

[Wine-loving Chimps]

Keep the pandas. The money would have been really nice, but the fact that I personally eliminated an entire species probably would weigh on my consciousness in the long run.

[Xibei-San-Ma]

Nah, I would let pandas to live. Also, if you have a lot money, there's a big chance, that you will want even more later- similar to eating- "appetite grows by eating". So, #KeepThePandas.

[Frenequesta]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

Now that's environmental exploitation.

[Zamasu]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

I'm surprised nobody thought of this before.

[Greater Cesnica]

You like pandas?

Who doesn't like pandas? They're big fluffy bears.

Not to mention fucking cute.

[Greater Cesnica]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

I'm surprised nobody thought of this before.

tbh, China would let it happen.

[Luxil]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

The problem would be convincing them that the buttons actually is real. However, if after blackmailing them, you take the money, thus showing them that you can actually to it, then blackmail them again threatening to wipe out China... Well, that could be interesting

Then rinse and repeat with other groups.

[Ifreann]

Show the leaders of China my button with the option to exterminate the pandas and hold the pandas ransom for Billions of dollars.

The problem would be convincing them that the buttons actually is real. However, if after blackmailing them, you take the money, thus showing them that you can actually to it, then blackmail them again threatening to wipe out China... Well, that could be interesting

Then rinse and repeat with other groups.

"Mr. President, I hold in my hands a button that, if pressed, will cause all pandas to disappear."
"[yelling for guards in Mandarin]"
"I'm willing to negotiate terms to turn this over t- hey, get off me! Get off me! Don't tase me bro!"

[Luxil]

The problem would be convincing them that the buttons actually is real. However, if after blackmailing them, you take the money, thus showing them that you can actually to it, then blackmail them again threatening to wipe out China... Well, that could be interesting

Then rinse and repeat with other groups.

"Mr. President, I hold in my hands a button that, if pressed, will cause all pandas to disappear."
"[yelling for guards in Mandarin]"
"I'm willing to negotiate terms to turn this over t- hey, get off me! Get off me! Don't tase me bro!"

Who says you have to be there in person?

[Ifreann]

"Mr. President, I hold in my hands a button that, if pressed, will cause all pandas to disappear."
"[yelling for guards in Mandarin]"
"I'm willing to negotiate terms to turn this over t- hey, get off me! Get off me! Don't tase me bro!"

Who says you have to be there in person?

The laws of comedy.

[Vassenor]

Told you. These scenarios only work in a magic fantasy land.

Someone doesn't like philosophical hypotheticals

Just because a situation is "hypothetical" doesn't mean you can just throw out the things in the real world that would make it not work.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

No.

With these sorts of threads you're not allowed to mention things like that. They always take place in some magic pocket universe where doing the thing to get the money carries no consequences whatsoever because otherwise people might not go for it.

there are no personal consequences

no one will investigate how you got the 3 million dollars; no one will know how you got them and no one will care

it just depends on your own personal morality and priorities, some people may not be able to sleep at night quite the same after... others will be just fine

Told you. These scenarios only work in a magic fantasy land.

It's almost as if you're missing the point of the question. Do you value material wealth more than the existence of a species?

[Diopolis]

Do I get a book deal about the vanishing pandas?

"Didn't There Used To Be Pandas?", the latest best-seller from Diopolis.

As seen on Oprah.

[LimaUniformNovemberAlpha]

No.

Told you. These scenarios only work in a magic fantasy land.

It's almost as if you're missing the point of the question. Do you value material wealth more than the existence of a species?

Depends on the species.

[Great Nepal]

Someone doesn't like philosophical hypotheticals

Just because a situation is "hypothetical" doesn't mean you can just throw out the things in the real world that would make it not work.

...that's like the whole point of hypothetical scenarios, see: constantly accelerating sealed box, coordination problem, halting machine etc. Saying you'd know you're in a sealed box accelerating at 9.8ms^-2 because you'd be able to see the engine, saying you can just send a rider in around the city or send up a smoke before attack, or saying you can detect its functionally infinite by setting a maximum time since we don't have infinite time/memory in real world while technically true is entirely missing the point and entirely silly.

[Infected Mushroom]

Just because a situation is "hypothetical" doesn't mean you can just throw out the things in the real world that would make it not work.

...that's like the whole point of hypothetical scenarios, see: constantly accelerating sealed box, coordination problem, halting machine etc. Saying you'd know you're in a sealed box accelerating at 9.8ms^-2 because you'd be able to see the engine, saying you can just send a rider in around the city or send up a smoke before attack, or saying you can detect its functionally infinite by setting a maximum time since we don't have infinite time/memory in real world while technically true is entirely missing the point and entirely silly.

Indeed it is.

[Zanera]

Just because a situation is "hypothetical" doesn't mean you can just throw out the things in the real world that would make it not work.

...that's like the whole point of hypothetical scenarios, see: constantly accelerating sealed box, coordination problem, halting machine etc. Saying you'd know you're in a sealed box accelerating at 9.8ms^-2 because you'd be able to see the engine, saying you can just send a rider in around the city or send up a smoke before attack, or saying you can detect its functionally infinite by setting a maximum time since we don't have infinite time/memory in real world while technically true is entirely missing the point and entirely silly.

I see people denouncing hypotheticals on NSG a lot, especially if a god or the God in involved too. The entire thing is hypothetical, so I don't see why they can't assume a God exists for a quick hypothetical on the Internet. It's like calling Bruce Almighty a shitty movie because it's about Morgan Freeman Almighty making Bruce almighty, or not bothering to watch it because God is involved. A hypothetical is a quick and fun examination of your morals and the morals of those around you, even if the hypothetical is sometimes somewhat of a hyperbole, or asking for some small measure of disbelief. People seem to just try and throw the entire thing away. Even then, they just need not say anything if they won't give valuable input instead of a spammy denouncement post.

[Infected Mushroom]

...that's like the whole point of hypothetical scenarios, see: constantly accelerating sealed box, coordination problem, halting machine etc. Saying you'd know you're in a sealed box accelerating at 9.8ms^-2 because you'd be able to see the engine, saying you can just send a rider in around the city or send up a smoke before attack, or saying you can detect its functionally infinite by setting a maximum time since we don't have infinite time/memory in real world while technically true is entirely missing the point and entirely silly.

I see people denouncing hypotheticals on NSG a lot, especially if a god or the God in involved too. The entire thing is hypothetical, so I don't see why they can't assume a God exists for a quick hypothetical on the Internet. It's like calling Bruce Almighty a shitty movie because it's about Morgan Freeman Almighty making Bruce almighty, or not bothering to watch it because God is involved. A hypothetical is a quick and fun examination of your morals and the morals of those around you, even if the hypothetical is sometimes somewhat of a hyperbole, or asking for some small measure of disbelief. People seem to just try and throw the entire thing away. Even then, they just need not say anything if they won't give valuable input instead of a spammy denouncement post.

Yes