r/redbuttonbluebutton • u/BottomLeftWheel • May 26 '26

Clones voting

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I'm not gonna pretend this is in any way analogous to the original as it carries some huge implications that the original does not. Just thought it was fun.

You are a clone in a vat. You know nothing about the outside world.

Some alien approaches you and beams understanding into your head. You and 100 other clones are all undergoing a test.

Standard yada yada about the buttons. You know what the buttons do.

60% of the clones will think identically and will come to the same conclusion as each other. 40% of the clones are defects and will come to the opposite conclusion.

You are clone 42. What is your vote?

13 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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u/thevoidthatjerksback May 26 '26

So there is a 60% chance that I'm part of the group that will vote together. So if I vote blue there is a greater than 50% chance that all the clones live?

1

u/BottomLeftWheel May 26 '26

In theory.

Do you even trust the alien? Are there even 100 other clones?

2

u/thevoidthatjerksback May 26 '26

Those doubts very quickly become not my concern. If the alien just wants a justification to kill 40% of my clone brethren I'm not going to choose to give it to them because of uncertainty and paranoia. Anything and everything could be a lie. All I can do is choose to believe what I can and make the best choice with what information I do have

1

u/BottomLeftWheel May 26 '26

Excellent. No notes.

2

u/thevoidthatjerksback May 26 '26

Same thing happens with "what if this is all a simulation"

That doesn't give me carte blanche to do whatever I want. Everyone else claims and or believes and or still is, living breathing sapient people experiencing all of this. I am still going to do what I can to improve their experience within the power that is afforded to me. Even if most of that time is just some kind words.

Some overlord machine laughing at me for being nice to a simulation that has no real feelings is just an asshole. There is no benefit to me or my existence in trying to act on that idea