Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

Theoretical Experiment: The Button Room

#1
stryder Offline
Your visiting a laboratory that's known to work on various defence contracts.   The assistant showing you around takes you to a small room off the main corridor not far from their break room.  They ask you to wait there while they just go retrieve their pen from their workstation which happens to be behind an elevated security level where you currently aren't allowed.  They say they'll only be five minutes and walk from the room.

In the room you see a couple of seats clearly sat next to each other with a viewing screen in front.  In front of the screen is a large red push button with the words "Warning: Do not press.  Will destroy the world." written on a large and clearly visible sign.  Next to the seats is a small electronics table with some extremely detailed schematics and a few electronics tools which were likely used to assemble the button.

As you sit their waiting for the assistant, (Who's timekeeping incidentally seems to be deplorable, as 10 minutes later they still have returned) you query what you should do?

(Leaving isn't an option, the assistant will return in time.) 

What would you do?
(offtopic: This isn't apart of any mainstream experiment, it's something I thought might be entertaining and currently exclusive to this forum only.)
Reply
#2
scheherazade Offline
I am used to waiting.

In my mind, I would work on whatever challenge was of most priority that day. If there were no challenges in need of immediate resolve, I would do some composition in my mind, usually topics that I might like to post to one of the forums I attend.

I also give some thought to creative writing for a book of short stories that I intend to eventually write. If there was a pen and blank paper laying about, I might avail myself of same to take notes. If not, just the mental exercise which I find is helpful when I do sit down to act upon that which I have previously contemplated.
Reply
#3
macgyver1968 Offline
I'd use the extra time to masturbate.

Smile
Reply
#4
stryder Offline
Well the button experiment by itself is a known psychological experiment where either people choose to ignore the button in the room, or they just have to push it.

The point in this theoretical experiment was there is actually many different things thrown into the setup.
For instance;

It's stated that the assistant leaves you in the room so they can go somewhere with an elevated security level. If a button was of any significant value, like destroying the world it's likely it too would be behind the elevated security, not sat in a room with a person that doesn't have that clearance. That being said, in this world we exist there are numerous issues where security is lapse where it should be tight under the pretence of ease of accessibility. So it could very well be a button that is in fact a doomsday weapon. So while some joker might not take the button serious, their pressing of it just because they can could lead to a doomed planet :/

In the case of "no action is a good action" or "wait" (or the alternative that Mac put up) it can be a good way no to do something wrong (although wrong in regards to what Mac put is an entirely different kettle of fish) Inaction can be seen as a form of fence sitting and kind of identifies if a person is likel to follow a crowd or leave others to decision making.

Lastly there is an action that to my knowledge is lesser known, in the case of the theoretical experiment the mentioning of certain props (Tools and Schematics) is a clue. If indeed that button was to destroy the world if pushed, doesn't it make sense to "tamper" with it so it can't be pushed? This of course is a more protagonist approach to dealing with the problem, however it does question the entire state of morality. Afterall the decision to "tamper" would probably break a whole bunch of laws, however ethically it could save an entire planet, should the next guy that gets stuck in the room be the one that wants to press it.
Reply
#5
Bowser Offline
Quite the metaphor, really.  There seems to be many buttons that some would like to keep out of reach from others.
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Do birds have a subjective reality? A new experiment suggests so C C 1 247 Sep 29, 2020 07:30 PM
Last Post: confused2
  Children Torment Robots in Japanese Human/Robot Interaction Experiment Yazata 2 484 Apr 28, 2017 02:43 AM
Last Post: stryder



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)