The Sublime or a 5% chance of survival?
April 28th 2006 07:12
The Sublime or a 5% chance of survival?
Here's an interesting hypothetical that a friend of mine posed the other day...
Imagine you are in a plane, hovering just below the clouds. All of a sudden the pilot informs the passengers that there has been a mass fuel leakage, and he will have to attempt a crash landing.
He poses two options.
1. We can hover above the clouds, and catch a glimpse of serene, still, wonderous beauty. If we do this, we will certainly run out of fuel before we land, and hence certainly die upon impact.
2. We can keep below the cloud line, and attempt a landing, without a glimpse of the Sublime above the cloudline. If we do this it will be a hairy ride down, but we are calculated a 5% chance of survival.
What would you do? Keep in mind that either way the ride down is going to be more than a little disconcerting. The only difference is in the 5% chance forfeited if you choose that moment of brief, calm, bliss.
I choose option 1. And you?
Here's an interesting hypothetical that a friend of mine posed the other day...
Imagine you are in a plane, hovering just below the clouds. All of a sudden the pilot informs the passengers that there has been a mass fuel leakage, and he will have to attempt a crash landing.
1. We can hover above the clouds, and catch a glimpse of serene, still, wonderous beauty. If we do this, we will certainly run out of fuel before we land, and hence certainly die upon impact.
2. We can keep below the cloud line, and attempt a landing, without a glimpse of the Sublime above the cloudline. If we do this it will be a hairy ride down, but we are calculated a 5% chance of survival.
What would you do? Keep in mind that either way the ride down is going to be more than a little disconcerting. The only difference is in the 5% chance forfeited if you choose that moment of brief, calm, bliss.
I choose option 1. And you?
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Comment by AdamB
As it stands I'm not entirely sure...I would find absolute certain death hard to choose.
Hmm...I guess I'll decide if and when it comes up
Adam