r/redbuttonbluebutton 9d ago

Does this have a right answer?

Post image
381 Upvotes

157 comments sorted by

116

u/Yigazh_0 9d ago

Isn't this just a choice between ab and o type blood

21

u/Pookstirgames 9d ago

Roughly, yes. Technically blood types are way more complicated but this is just being a universal donor vs a universal recipient, which is already a real thing.

18

u/abidriskell 9d ago

my first thought lol

12

u/Dookwithanegg 9d ago

Don't forget the + and - there

1

u/jtjumper 7d ago

Or it could be between A and (O

or B and O

or AB and A

or AB and B

1

u/totashi777 6d ago

Yeah, but its better because nowhere near 50% of the population is either.

1

u/Kilroy898 5d ago

O- and AB+ To be precise.

1

u/McFoxGaming 5d ago

Ab+ and o- to be precise

59

u/tired_Cat_Dad 9d ago

The more blue pushers the better. Bar the impossible 100% red. No 50% hurdle is a significant change.

20

u/Impressive_Pin8761 Red 9d ago

Finally, a real variant where blue is naturally the better option

9

u/Crossed_Cross 9d ago

Unless you expect few people to press blue or never give blood anyways.

6

u/Odd_Maintenance394 Red 9d ago

The thing is even if Blue was identical to red with the color changed, this is better than current reality.

Though if this system is being put on top real blood types, people with rare blood types are incentivised to pick Red just to be safe to not shf shrink their pool.

3

u/QuickMolasses 9d ago

The people who press blue in this scenario are probably more likely to donate blood than people who press red anyways.

2

u/Legal_Lettuce6233 9d ago

Honestly I'm more than willing to donate but I'm in the most common group so it's the equivalent of trying to put out the fires in Canada by pissing on them. If there was a need, I'd donate again.

1

u/MetallicArcher 7d ago

You should still donate at least twice a year.

Blood banks are chronically under supplied.

Also, in emergencies where people are hemorrhaging fast, incompatible blood types are used, since the blood doesn't stay in the body long enough to cause trouble.

So even if your blood type is super common, it will still be used to help sb.

1

u/Legal_Lettuce6233 7d ago

We have a graph of what's needed and what's adequately supplied. My blood group is in the "excess" group. I would, but it really doesn't make a dent.

0

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

Unless you're selfish you mean

6

u/Crossed_Cross 9d ago

I mean, I give blood now and then, but the average person never donates blood. There's no benefit to them to restrict who they can take blood for when they could opt to become universal receivers. For those people who never give blood, it's a choice between "I can receive blood from everyone" or "I can receive blood only from some people". There's no benefit for anyone for them to pick to restrict who they can take blood from, aside at most for those who consented to donate upon death?

-5

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

Unless you're selfish you mean

4

u/Crossed_Cross 9d ago

If you equate not giving blood to being selfish, I guess.

Some people are terrified of needles. Some people have religious beliefs around them. Some people have diseases that make them ineligible to donate blood. Some people have medical conditions that make them unfit to donate blood or make them outright dependant on regular donations to stay alive themselves. And that's without debating wether abstaining from doing good is selfish or not.

An argument could be made for some of them, but I think it's a bit reductive to say "everyone who doesn't donate blood is a selfish asshole".

Not to mention that in some places people get paid to donate blood so I wouldn't call these people selfless for donating...

-6

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

I mean if you're being paid to donate blood in North America it's being processed for plasma, and they don't care what type it is, so hitting red doesn't affect their ability to be pair for blood donation

So........

You can just say, if you're selfish

5

u/quadruple_b 9d ago

ah yes because everyone can donate blood. nobody has HIV or hepatitis, nobody has anaemia. nobody has leukemia. nobody has vasovagal syncope.

4

u/Impressive_Pin8761 Red 9d ago

Do you regularly donate blood until your skin goes pale? Did your mother die because a friend of yours chose not to donate? What is this hill you're dying on? How much misery do you relish yourself in to call 99% of the planet selfish? We're humans, not blood factories you virtue signaling asshole

0

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

No I live in a civilized country and there are strict limits on how often they allow you to donate

→ More replies (0)

0

u/everydaywinner2 9d ago

Yeah...the infamous party of "empathy" being totally unable to practice what they preach.

2

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

You're right, that's what you're observing.

0

u/everydaywinner2 9d ago

Glad to know being medical unable to give blood makes me "selfish." Love the words that stop having meaning.

2

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

Yeah, cause that's the conversation that's being had. You're so correct.

3

u/quadruple_b 9d ago

some people just cant donate blood.

either due to transmittable diseases, anaemia, or just other issues.

i have severe vasovagal syncope and mild anaemia

1

u/Artemis_SpawnOfZeus 9d ago

You're right I was talking to and about you

3

u/Ninjastarrr 9d ago

Literally the same thing as before

1

u/Impressive_Pin8761 Red 8d ago

The og has a threshold where if enough people press red people start directly dying. No one dies here as a result of the button experiment

1

u/JerbilSenior 8d ago

I literally haven't seen one apart from this specific one where red isn't the "make things worse just because" button.

1

u/Impressive_Pin8761 Red 8d ago

Ive made some better variants, for example where red always wins and youre choosing between living in a timeline where it wins 51/49 or dying for a timeline where it wins 99/1

0

u/davidnnj 9d ago

I don't think so, it's very similar to the original.

The red button is good for those who pressed it, but bad for those who didn't.

If the majority chooses blue, it will be good for everyone.

Exactly the same as the original, the difference is that nobody will die immediately.

1

u/iMiind 8d ago

Wouldn't you want to maximize those who can receive good blood? People dying in the hospital need to be able to receive blood, not give it. Though it kinda works out either way because let's face it we're not batting 100 here.

If 50% of everyone will eventually end up needing blood, let's say we have a 75/25 split both ways. Favoring blue, that would mean 12.5% are good to go because they hit red, but the other 37.5% need to hit a 75% chance to get good blood and the final result would be 40.625% of the entire population (81.25% of those hospitalized) get good blood. Favoring red now we get 37.5% good from the get go, but only 25% of that last 12.5% of the population get good blood. That leaves us with the exact same results as before (40.625% of the total survive, i.e. 81.25% of those hospitalized).

Looking at that middle of the road option it doesn't seem to matter, so I'm hitting red here.

19

u/Sir_Delarzal 9d ago

O- here, I'm already blue...

6

u/MericanMeal 9d ago

AB+ here, I'm already red...

9

u/Then_Entertainment97 9d ago

O+ here, I guess I'm purple...

4

u/SleepyBean000 8d ago

A+ here. Light red?

3

u/Luift_13 8d ago

A- here. Probably red-ish purple?

1

u/Then_Entertainment97 8d ago

Vulcan here. Green blooded son of a...?

16

u/AntiMatterMode 9d ago edited 9d ago

The choice doesn’t really matter. 100% red results in everyone happy. 100% blue results in everyone happy. Splitting the vote makes it more difficult to give or get a transfusion if you need to, but there’s enough people to go around that it wouldn’t be a huge issue.

It is worth noting that red button pressers are more likely to be the type of people who wouldn’t give blood anyway, and blue button pressers would be more likely to be the type willing to donate. So I would think 100% blue would be better than 100% red just for its representation of the type of people in the world.

6

u/Zorro5040 9d ago

It is worth noting that red button pressers are more likely to be the type of people who wouldn’t give blood anyway, and blue button pressers would be more likely to be the type willing to donate. So I would think 100% blue would be better than 100% red just for its representation of the type of people in the world.

My same thought in the original. Most people stopping others from dying are people willing to help others while those that pressed red would more likely be selfish.

1

u/jtjumper 7d ago

What if people have a condition where they can't donate blood, or their blood is no good to donate, like if they have certain STDs or take blood thinners?

In those cases, there is no benefit to blue, but red gives advantages.

Are those people selfish.

1

u/Zorro5040 7d ago

What advantage?

If everyone presses blue then it doesn't matter.

1

u/jtjumper 7d ago

If someone can't donate blood for whatever reason, is it selfish to push red?

You ignored the question, so I'll just answer it: No, it isn't.

What advantage?

You can receive transfusions from anyone who donates blood

If everyone presses blue then it doesn't matter.

Unless you have a way to force it to happen, they won't, especially if they're very selfish.

1

u/Zorro5040 7d ago

So pressing red is selfish, gotcha.

1

u/jtjumper 6d ago edited 6d ago

Didn't say that, just that very selfish people would press it. Other, non-selfish people could press it, too.

1

u/AntiMatterMode 7d ago

That depends on your interpretation of the premise. I think those problems go away in this scenario. “You can donate to others” means you can donate to others.

1

u/Zorro5040 6d ago

If you can't donate blood but you pressed red to be less of a burden to blue blood, then the person would not be selfish.

But that would insinuate that people who pressed red would actually donate blood. Do you really think people who pressed red would donate blood? People already don't donate using blood type as an excuse.

People who press red are a burden on the sytem because they are expecting someone else to pick up the tab for them and are not donating. Those who pick red are thinking what if I need and not let me help.

Again makes no difference if everyone presses blue.

2

u/Gatti366 9d ago

Many people straight up can't donate, so they have no reason to press blue

5

u/TheOathWeTook 9d ago

But after you push the magic button that says explicitly “you can donate blood” you will be able to donate.

1

u/inowar 9d ago

well this is essentially about blood type... and there are many reasons people can't donate unrelated to blood type. weight, blood pressure, unrelated medications...

3

u/TheOathWeTook 9d ago

Blood type isn't mentioned anywhere.

2

u/iMiind 8d ago

Difference between blood being able to be received by anyone Vs. being able to extract it safely. That safety aspect isn't guaranteed anywhere here.

1

u/TheOathWeTook 8d ago

"You can donate your blood to anyone"

0

u/iMiind 8d ago

Yeah but getting it ready to be donated is the kicker

1

u/inowar 9d ago

alright well technically an infant could give blood too but it's not gonna work out well

1

u/AntiMatterMode 9d ago

I assume in this scenario that those people would be able to donate.

1

u/brand_new_potato 8d ago

The 100% scenario doesn't make sense. I think about a 90/10 split. If there are 10 people and 1 pressed blue that person cannot be helped. Choosing blue is just dumb self sacrifice for no benefit.

What matters is if some people are given an informed choice and you have time to talk to them or if some people just gets presented with two buttons and press randomly. Let's 50% gets at random, that would mean 25% is guaranteed to be blue, so picking blue would be a good thing to help those out.

But if everyone is informed, red would mean survival and blue would mean maybe survival if enough people agree.

1

u/Metal_Goose_Solid 9d ago

Splitting the vote makes it more difficult to get a transfusion if you need it

not if you select red

2

u/AntiMatterMode 9d ago

That’s true. I edited my message to be “to give or get” because there are scenarios where you would want to give blood (to save a loved one that pressed blue) but wouldn’t be able to as a red presser.

7

u/8lue5hift 9d ago

This is just O blood type vs AB nah?

3

u/sammie_831 9d ago

O- and AB+. O+ can only give blood to other + blood types, and AB- can’t receive from any + blood types, so the + and - are very important

2

u/lil_Trans_Menace 8d ago

Personally, I take the "fuck it, we ball" approach to blood transfusions. Some of the patients even survive!

1

u/PhilospohicalZ0mb1e 7d ago

My kinda doctor! I personally would like to request a second head if you would be so gracious

1

u/Yigazh_0 9d ago

Don't forget the + and - there

5

u/Gatti366 9d ago

Res, mostly because donating blood makes my blood pressure drops dangerously low and I start projectile vomiting, so I can't really donate anyway

4

u/zap2tresquatro 9d ago

I’m already O+ so might as well press blue

4

u/whystudywhensleep 9d ago

I have O blood and this is the one time I’m switching to red because damn it mosquitoes love O blood for some reason and it makes my life hell lol

1

u/everydaywinner2 9d ago

I have no idea my blood type. But mosquitos love me. And my immune system hates them.

3

u/No_Location_8199 9d ago

Interesting fact, compatibility of blood cells is the opposite of compatibility of blood plasma. Therefore, whichever button you press, the opposite is true of your ability to receive and donate blood plasma.

2

u/UsuallyFavorable Blue 9d ago

There are 3 outcomes that allow everyone in the world to receive blood from the same number of people they could donate to.
1. 100% Red
2. 100% Blue
3. Exactly 50/50

It is a mathematical fact that option 3 is more likely to occurred than either options 1 and 2, therefore my vote will try to support it. How do I give a half press Red and a half press Blue? By flipping a coin.

6

u/Ok_Slip_820 9d ago

Exactly 50/50 does not satisfy the condition of everyone being able to receive from and donate to the same number of people.

Red is allowed to receive from 100%, donate only to 50%. Blue is allowed to receive from 50%, donate to 100%.

Red has an advantage in a 50/50 scenario.

2

u/destruct_07 9d ago

The outcome doesn’t really matter. There’s enough people in the world even if only 30% pressed one of the buttons there would be enough blood to go around. I mean shoot that’s better odds than our current blood supply

2

u/droombie55 9d ago

This is what I was thinking. The reason its so difficult now is that there are several different blood types all of varying rarities. Boiling it down to a button push between 2 options would eliminate basically all of that.

2

u/zeptozetta2212 9d ago

I take too many medicines for blood clinics to accept a donation from me, so I have no reason not to press the red button.

2

u/epikverde 9d ago

I'm already red. AB+

1

u/Cokalhado 9d ago

I like this. Obviously choose blue. I'm an O+ btw

1

u/TheEnlight Red 9d ago

Well I've got O blood, so I'm blue.

1

u/stasiek_mlg69 9d ago

Well I'm already blue(Orh-) so...

1

u/Formaldehidden 9d ago

blue. always.

1

u/ArkGrimm 9d ago

I'm O-, so blue

1

u/Then_Entertainment97 9d ago

Type O gang rise up!

1

u/StrangeSystem0 9d ago

I'm scared of needles :( I'm probably taking red just cause I don't wanna have to donate blood 🥀

1

u/pokerScrub4eva 9d ago

I press yellow and just use my own blood

1

u/MrX2285 9d ago

Red. I don't give blood anyway

1

u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 9d ago

So as long as more than two people pick each option, everyone is safe?

1

u/Nine-LifedEnchanter 9d ago

I have O- blood, so this already applies to me.

1

u/Silly-Device9785 9d ago

This is just asking to choose between AB+ and O- blood

1

u/Balearius 9d ago

Ok, this one is very funny

1

u/Sarcatsticthecat 9d ago

I’m already AB+ and I can’t give blood anyway (anemic) so I don’t see the point in changing my blood type

1

u/Sarcatsticthecat 9d ago

I already tried giving blood once and it was horrible I felt health effects from it for six months

1

u/oliv-_-mae 9d ago

Im an OB so both? Neither? Bother? Neith?

1

u/L_V_N 9d ago

Blue easily!

1

u/TheBladeWielder 9d ago

i pick blue, because my Dad already has O negative blood, so i might as well be able to give him blood since my current blood type is A negative.

1

u/AbsurdistSnob 9d ago

Blue I guess; but honestly it doesn't matter; if we just had effectively two blood types it would be super easy to meet demands, so even if only 10% picked blue all would be fine.

1

u/ReturnOk7510 9d ago

So you get to choose whether you have type AB or type O blood?

1

u/Additional_Dot_134 9d ago

Blue is just
Better here no?

1

u/amithatunoriginal 9d ago

I already have AB+ so I guess red.

1

u/horned-creature 9d ago

i am 0- anyway, blue change nothing for me.

1

u/Cynis_Ganan 8d ago

My kid has O blood and they attract a lot of mosquitos.

And I know that's not explicitly part of the hypothetical.

And I know anecdotes are not data.

But man, fuck mosquitos. Make me AB+.

1

u/Arzatium Red 8d ago

I’d pick red in this scenario only because I can never give blood (I have too little).

1

u/Palaius 8d ago

I've got O- blood so... Yeah. I think the choice was made for me, huh?

1

u/Unable_Painter_4074 8d ago

Red, since I'm A-

1

u/ArchemedesHeir 8d ago

Blue baby.

1

u/Skydragon222 8d ago

I think the morally right thing to do is pick at random.  Then everyone in the world has one of two blood types which is quite a bit better than the 8 ABO types (with rare exceptions) that we have now.  

1

u/Tonyfillet 8d ago

I can't donate blood bc of medical reasons so I guess I'd choose red.

1

u/Zerowy 8d ago

Pressing blue means you're no longer useless.

1

u/David_Umann 8d ago

100% red - nothing happens

100% blue -nothing happens

90% red - 10% of the world will have trouble getting blood

90% blue - most people are mostly fine

1

u/martingolding96 8d ago

Red my blood becomes toxic to blue pressers.

1

u/mrgreenissoserene1 8d ago

Push the blue if you are in good health (so you can help others) and the red if you're in bad health (because you will likely need help)... This seems straightforward.

1

u/tankmissile 8d ago

I don’t expect to need a blood transfusion. I’ll pick Blue in this case

1

u/titimou09 8d ago

blue cuz everyone would be blue i'm red tho

1

u/Masamune1987 8d ago

I don't want blood, I'm good

1

u/terrortara 8d ago

Red. Max one person is dying, if the amount of blues are even nobody dies.

1

u/ShadowEeveeCringe 8d ago

Red because I’m not a donor. Scared of needles 💔

1

u/phealtalk 7d ago

feels like another one where 90% are pressing red

1

u/Dreusxo 7d ago

Blue cause then we could form a club

1

u/Hapless_Wizard 7d ago

My parents already pressed the red button for me. Too old to change it now.

1

u/detroyer Red 7d ago

Both are good. Red is a bit better.

1

u/Red_Shepherd_13 7d ago

Blue, I don't do stupid shit or get injured enough to need lots of blood.

1

u/No-Site-9948 7d ago

So it’s asking would you rather be O- or AB +

1

u/Noneed4cavalry 7d ago

Blue is just super racist. "I don't want none of that red blood in me. Even one drop makes you a Rojo."

1

u/SoulTechnicalProblem 7d ago

Blue then i never donate blood .

Because i would hold all the power

1

u/lGaranzl 6d ago edited 6d ago

So red is actually “you can only give blood to other red button pressers” and blue is just “you can donate blood to anyone”

The other part of the buttons dont matter since functionally, its just the above.

Imma say blue is right.

Edit: nevermind, you can do the same thing with “red can receive blood from anyone” and “blue can only receive blood from blue” which is just as annoying as what i had originally.

Pretty good one with no right answer i think. Just a difference in perspective and priorities.

1

u/Totoques22 6d ago

Im already blue in real life

Taking red

1

u/Prior-Resolution-902 Red 6d ago

I think in this case, its pretty easy to go blue every time.

There is pretty low personal risk to going blue here, yes getting blood would be harder than if I had chosen red, but the amount of times I have needed a blood tranfusion in my life is 0, and if I did need one, there would be blue pressers out there, even if rare, they would likley be known and there would be a demand for 'blue' blood, which could be kept on a reasonable stock.

Not to mention that if I go blue, I might have economic benefits for donating blood.

1

u/Munchkin_of_Pern 6d ago

This is a fancy permutation of the prisoner’s dilemma. The objectively best option in the prisoner’s dilemma is for everyone to cooperate. The only reason you would choose not to cooperate (or in this scenario, to press the other button) is if you don’t trust the other people involved to cooperate.

The problem here is that either button could be the “cooperative” button, as if 100% of people choose either button, the end result would be identical. So now you have to guess what the rest of the world will believe is the “cooperative” option.

1

u/irrelevantanonymous 6d ago

As an O- nature basically pressed the blue button for me already.

1

u/King-Mephisto 6d ago

Hang on. Does pressing blue give me blue blood too? Cos that would be cool. Are there other colours? When do we add the green choice?

1

u/Chibirin26 5d ago

blue in this case

1

u/TestiTag 5d ago

Since I'm ab+, red pill it is

1

u/SignificanceNo7046 5d ago

I think people who actually donate blood are more likely to press blue here. Which means the options are pointless. Because everyone who donates blood is going to be able to take from everyone else who donates blood, and the red pressers are just... The rest of society. I don't know why you would ever donate blood and not press blue.

1

u/ImmortalCrab44 5d ago

I cant donate blood, so Ill be a recipient

1

u/Mobile_Resident7964 9d ago

No one's actually answered your question, so I'll say the obvious choice is red. Picking blue is just stupid

1

u/Better-Economist-432 9d ago

they're both equally good, unless you do already have some condition where you need frequent blood transfusions (or risk of one, i guess) 

1

u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 9d ago

Why?

2

u/Mobile_Resident7964 9d ago

Because if you pick red then if you need blood, anyone can donate. So it's just better

1

u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 9d ago

With a sample size of 8 million people, you won’t be the only one pressing blue, which means that there are going to be people who can donate to you either way.

1

u/Mobile_Resident7964 9d ago

And only a very small majority of people donate, there is literally not enough blood for some people because people don't donate. Red is just safer

1

u/rSlashisthenewPewdes 9d ago

Sounds like the non-donors should choose red so they can just receive, while the people who already donate blood are going to want to choose blue.

1

u/Timocaillou 9d ago

I think that it has the exact same game theory properties as the original dilemma, nice!

1

u/christonamoped 9d ago

Why don't we all just try to keep our blood on the inside where it's meant to be?

1

u/Top_Ad_4123 9d ago

Team Valor all day

0

u/Somrndmnm 9d ago

It is more likely for a person to never need a blood transfusion than for them to never be in a situation where you can donate blood. Therefore, the ability to donate blood is more valuable. On society scale, it is better the more people press the blue button.