Tuesday, 16 September 2008 07:54

Moral dilemma 4 - collision course

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On September 10 2008, the large hadron collider was finally switched on.  It is a machine that is at the cusp of human knowledge and endeavour, it will enable humanity to understand the universe and provide knowledge of benefit to all people, living and of the future.

However, tragically, a person was killed in the construction of the machine.

The dilemma is this.  If you were the chief engineer of the project, and you were told in advance of starting construction that it was a certainty that one person would be killed, would you still continue with the project?

How about if the chance of one person dying was 75%?

or 50%?

Or unknowable?

 

Read 1017 times Last modified on Thursday, 01 April 2010 11:48
starstrewnsky

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  • To write in plain, vigorous language one has to think fearlessly, and if one thinks fearlessly one cannot be politically orthodox

    George Orwell

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