Poll: A more statistically sound choice.

[Flailing Escapist]

Yeah, someone else http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.304677-Poll-You-must-choose asked a question just like this.
(blow me) I'm just making it more statistically sound.

For whatever reason aliens or god or Chuck Norris (whatever) has come down from the heavens and they have asked you a question. I don't know, because they really like you? Anyway, they are interested in how the creatures they have created have evolved and they've given you two options:

Option 1:
Half of the human race will be wiped out but the other half will be untouched (by the plague, hand of god, whatever). The only catch is that YOU could be in that half that is destroyed. And it's not by position, religion or race; the people who die will be or random ages, races, gender, etc.

Option 2:
You roll the dice. You have a 50/50 chance that either all of humanity (including yourself) will live or all of humanity (including yourself) will die.

What do you choose? Either way you do not have certainty that you will live. The only question is will you take the safe route for humanity (option 1) and ensure it's survival? Doing so will save the human race but it will bring much sorrow to those who lost loved ones. Or do you go 50/50 and either wipe out the human race or bring absolutely no harm to it?

Edit: Lets say that you HAVE to choose. Or they will choose for you and you will die.

 

[enzilewulf]

I don't get it. Either way I could die. Option 1 of coarse but this really just means half the population will die instead of all of it. Either way I have a 50/50 chance of ending up dead so 1 is the only logical choice.

Option 1: Be selfless and at least let half the population live which could be you

or

option 2: Choose to risk every one dying and you still have the same chance of dying as the first option except now every one dies.

 

[Olrod]

This is more like it. (As I mentioned in post #10 of that other thread.)

As for my answer, I'd have to flip a coin. Heads I choose option A, and tails I choose option B.

Which would equate to a 50% chance of killing 50% of Humanity, and a 25% chance each of either killing everyone or nobody at all.

 

[legion431]

Kill half. I think the earth's population is getting far too high and needs a good pruning.

 

[Iron Lightning]

Well, looking at this from a purely selfish standpoint I'd have to pick option 2 since I would certainly die if I picked option 1 either by the hand of Norris or by the human lynch mob that would inevitably destroy me for approving the murder of 3.5 billion humans.

 

[DementedSheep]

Eh option 1, not going to bet the entire human race on a dice roll.

 

[TheRundownRabbit]

Okay, I asked Flandre with the last one, Cirno? What do you think?

"Eye'd pick option 2 cause 50+50=100! :3"
....*facepalms*

 

[Mr Thin]

Answering this is just as simple as answering that other one; option 1. It puzzles me how anyone can choose differently, unless they're going for the whole 'humans must die' thing.

I'd go option one even if it resulted in 80% human casualties. The future of the human race is not something with which to gamble, however stacked the odds are in your favour.

 

[Whateveralot]

I picked 50 / 50 chance of survival. Why?
Four things could happen:

You choose the "everything or nothing" option and you live:
Everyone gets to live, no-one ever noticed any hassle, life goes on! The perfect option.

You choose the "everything or nothing" option and you die:
Everyone dies including you. You don't get to live, but so does no-one else. No mourning involved.

You choose the "kill half of humanity" option and you live:
50% of your friends, family and potentially lovers die. A lot of mourning will be done all across the globe.

You choose the "kill half of humanity" option and you die:
Still, a lot of mourning will be done all across the globe, but you're not there to witness it. The coward option.

 

[FalloutJack]

Half of you die right now, by my hands personally.

 

[Queen Michael]

I don't get it. Either way I could die. Option 1 of coarse but this really just means half the population will die instead of all of it. Either way I have a 50/50 chance of ending up dead so 1 is the only logical choice.

Option 1: Be selfless and at least let half the population live which could be you

or

option 2: Choose to risk every one dying and you still have the same chance of dying as the first option except now every one dies.

You forget that option two maks it possible for everyone to be free from any injury, while option one guarantees a heckuva lot of bloodshed.

 

[Richardplex]

I'm rolling with option 2. I don't care who dies if I die, because I'd be be dead, but there would be less people whining if I survive option 2 rather than option 1.

 

[Mark Flanagan]

Half of everyone, hell I'd drop the human population by 80% if I could as to be frank the planets over populated as it is.