World Trade Center news updates and discussion.

[Gandalf]

Their hands are already stained with other's blood. That's a completely new feeling. Sure, everyone will emphasize how you saved five lives and comfort you, reassure you that you did the right thing saving five instead of one but you'll die inside a little knowing you killed someone. This feeling will never leave you.
I may not know this firsthand but I know people that found themselves in these situations. They are not the same from the incident. This is completely natural as we are fragile beings dependent on analyzing. This feeling will be here because of "why and what if?" questions.

You are completely right, and this is why I mentioned the difference of making this decisions when under influence of cafeine or alcohol. In WW2 Russian soldiers were given two shots of vodka (100grams) before going in to battle. This to induce a rush that would allow them to kill opponents with more success.
Many of them ended as alcoholics, as their mind could not process the actions they did while under this influence. This was reason to at least officially stop the habit.

[Void]

You are completely right, and this is why I mentioned the difference of making this decisions when under influence of cafeine or alcohol.

Coffee or alcohol, when there is a life bringing/taking situation people are always under influence of their own system. This is another fascinating subject so I won't derail the thread further. This shock/paralyzer/drink won't last for long but something will and that's psychological trauma.
I will use your own example: No one comes back "alive and good" from the war.

[JDC]

Bump.

I read through the previous discussion on the trolley-and-the-fat-man problem, and I was wondering.

If the odds for the survival of the 5 people were increased to 25% or even 50%, what will you do?

You throw the switch, you surely kill the fat man.
You don't throw the switch, there is a 25% or 50% chance that the five people will be killed.

Just curious.

[Pandalink]

You throw the switch, you surely kill the fat man.
You don't throw the switch, there is a 25% or 50% chance that the five people will be killed.

Just curious.

This changes the very nature of the situation.
If anything that makes the situation tell you more about the person: whether they are risk taking gamblers or not. Whether they're an optimist.
In that situation you are gambling that you can save all 6 with the lives of the 5. That said, it is easier to take the gamble as it requires doing nothing. Personally I'd do that as (believe it or not) I'm still an optimist.

[Ted]

The steel skeleton of WTC One has been completed all that is left to do is to add the glass and the spire. The spire will be the make or break of it being the tallest building in the USA. Apparently it is still wanted to be classed as an antenna which do not count to the overall height of a building.