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Comment by emerged | Hacker News Reader

Children would also choose to save a bowl of ice cream over a bowl of gold nuggets. They aren't making abstract rational/moral choices, they're choosing the thing which will make them feel good. It's effectively the same question as asking them "Do you want to play with that dog, or with that person?"

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> It's effectively the same question as asking them "Do you want to play with that dog, or with that person?"

Devil's advocate: Isn't this the same for adults? Most of us would prefer a person for a colleague or sexual partner, therefore, let's save humans.

To explore this deeper, consider whether you'd rather save an old person or a young one, attractive or ugly, same sex or opposite sex, ...?

Interesting that you would choose gold, when its value is mostly manufactured.

What an odd way to respond. Manufactured in what way? Gold’s value is no more manufactured than that of ice cream. It has no bearing on the comparison.

Are you sure? I was under the impression that, for instance, diamond's value is mostly manufactured, but gold is actually useful for various electronic and chemical properties.

Yeah, I looked it up before posting. And "superficial" would be better a better word than "manufactured." Only like 10% of gold production goes towards industrial purposes. The rest is used for jewelry or as currency backing.

edit And gold is actually a rare element that's actually useful, like you described, just not rare enough that most of it can't be siphoned off to sit idly in someone's vault. Diamonds are also somewhat useful, but not really rare.

We can also produce diamonds in a lab, yet the alchemists still can't turn lead into gold.

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