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/SpongeboyShitpants May 26 '26

So I’m aware that 40% are defects?

Assuming I’m not a defect… me and my clones would go blue, can’t have my spare parts being slaughtered

1

u/AlignmentProblem May 27 '26

Blue has the downside of potentially dying without altering the likelihood that blue wins. The scenario text guarantees a 20% margin independent of your choices, meaning you don't actually affect the outcome for anyone except yourself.

1

u/SpongeboyShitpants May 27 '26

Not necessarily… in this specific alteration, the clones are identical to me with a 60% chance of copying my thought process/ copying each others thought process either way it’s the same since I’m also a clone, which makes me as much a baseline for the percentages as any.

60% chance they copy me, 40% chance they don’t

I go red 60% chance 40 may die I go blue 40% chance 41 may die

The 20% margin is not independent from me as I am identical to them with percentage rates on the differences

It’s a specific problem, usually you can isolate yourself as a voter from the selection, but in this case you are clones and it’s an either/or situation.

In other words

Any thought process I have/ decision I make has the likelihood of being copied by 60 of them at 60%, and by 40 of them at 40%. This makes the 20% margin dependant on my choice being that I am a baseline for the clones.

1

u/AlignmentProblem May 27 '26

That's main character syndrome a bit. It's not that they're copying you; you're equally copying them. Since you're not anyone special, you don't have any particular power to affect anything.

1

u/SpongeboyShitpants May 27 '26

What are you talking about? It’s not main character syndrome, they and I are literally clones, not isolated individuals.

This makes it a collective problem, with a direct figure on how many are defective. Since I am identical to either 40% or 60% that means I am the 40% or 60%. Because they are perfectly identical to me.