Some people will sell one of their kidneys for just a few thousand dollars. If I were a multi-multi-multi-billionaire I should be able to buy a kidney for me after the operation.
George Levy wrote: > > > > Saibal Mitra wrote: > > > > Suppose that every week I subject myself to a suicide experiment. I > > use a suicide machine to win that weeks lottery. After a few years I > > will have won hundreds of times in succession. > > > > Now there exists a class of universes, with a very low measure, in > > which the laws of physics are such that I am guaranteed to win. The > > probability that I find myself in such a universe will have increased > > substantially after each experiment. After a few years I will be sure > > to live in such a universe. It would be easy to check, all I would > > have to do is to buy a ticket and see if I have won without using the > > suicide machine. > > > > Saibal > > Actually such universes are not too difficult to imagine. For example > you could end up in a universe where you have a secret admirer in the > lottery office, ie, the person who is programming the computer to > generate the winning numbers and who has been arranging the outcome of > the lottery to be in you favor. This person is a jilted lover who has > never lost her love for you, and has decided that if she disturb your > life enough by showering you with riches you might get a divorce from > your wife and get back together with her. As it turns out she has a > child who, unknown to you, was born after the torridly passionate affair > you had with her while you were in college. The child is sick and the > only cure is a transplant which can be provided only by a close > relative. Her blood type made that transplant impossible but since your > are type "O" you are the only person in the whole world who could save > that child. So brace yourself Saibal, you are about to lose a kidney for > the benefit of this newly found relative of yours. Oops but wait, there > is an element of doubt as to whether you are the real father... Should > you sacrifice yourself for the child of maybe another? Well, you are > still in love with your previous girlfriend. So what should you do? > > > By the way, this universe does not feel as if it has a low measure... It > is just as arbitrary as the universe we live in now. > > George >