I'd push the button halfway, take my $500,000, and walk away guiltless.

Awesome, awesome episode.

I'd reverse-engineer the button.

Then, I'd use my powers for awesome!

I'd be sending "hisses" in morse code (.... .. ... ... . ...) with that baby for hours.

There are far too many humans, and I want to be rich. You got a problem with that? Just hold on a tick, I've got something for you... [press press press press]...


Nah, all BS. I would not press.

We knew that. ;)

I'd hit the button 5 times! gimme my 5 million, bitch!

a friend i posed this question to says:

:lol:

For those who would push ... how many times would you push?

One million isn't really enough. Two is scraping. But if you've already killed three or four random strangers, why worry about more?

I was thinking about this question, and it occured to me that the word 'know' should be defined before you make your decision.

What I mean is, what if it kills the old man who walks up the street to get his paper every day and gives you a wave as he goes by? You don't really 'know' him, but you do sort of 'know' him in a way, but not in any meaningful way.

So, are the people you see on the street safe, or are they fair game?

I wouldn't push the button by the way, regardless of the terms. I don't agree with capital punishment, so it'd make me a hypocrite if I'd kill someone for nothing wouldn't it.

You call a million bucks nothing?

It's just money. ;)

Of course, I meant the fact that they did nothing in particular to deserve me to kill them.

Suppose you, the button pusher were allowed multiple pushes. And what if each time you pushed the button, the chances would increase that you would kill someone you 'do' know.

In other words: first push...a stranger dies.

Second push: there's a one percent chance someone you know dies.

Third push: there's a two percent chance someone you know dies.

And so on...

For those who would push the button: what's the acceptable risk of losing a family member or friend to get another million, and another million, and another…

Ali said it all:

It's just money. Meaningless in the grand scheme...

"It's just money. Meaningless in the grand scheme..."
 

Indeed. Everything is meaningless in the grand scheme. And still folks grapple with 'shoulds' and 'woulds' and 'coulds'.

Declaring it 'just money' or 'meaningless' isn't relevant.

Why?

Because if such a button existed, some folks 'would' push it. As a result: people would die.

In the grand scheme, those folks (both the pushers and the 'recipients' of the push) are 'meaningless', but, to themselves, they're everything.