#24: Trolley Problem, Dancing, Game Theory | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews

[@IlaughedIcried]

I hope other viewers are LOLing at "It was invented by Aristotle, while he was on a trolley...."

[@Maclabhruinn]

I did pause for ~650 milliseconds at that point, then I LOL'ed 😀

[@culther0r0]

what about the fact that Sapolsky had to google Seinfeld

[@cw5657]

The Ursula K LeGuin story mentioned is “The ones who walk away from Omelas”

[@bladdnun3016]

Highly recommended! Her sci-fi novels are also great.

[@igotbluesdevils]

A master of Fantasy and Sci-Fi, truly one of the greats. I was so sad to hear she passed in 2018, but her legacy is here to stay.

[@KevinsDisobedience]

A real masterwork

[@human498]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zp-wgaSPgdKies0si=Vd7Im4_Z0FmDvjWr Good video about it

[@d3pr0fundis]

Not to be pedantic, but the story of the small child being killed to gain human happiness was originally presented in “The Brothers Karamazov.” Just putting in a good word for the great moral philosopher Dostoevsky 😊

[@ТаняКовалева-в7и]

Thank you for this format! It is very interesting to hear Robert's opinion on various issues from subscribers! Lately, I've only been watching your channel and I hope you'll continue to develop the channel, it's priceless. Greetings from Russia!

[@ishaadass]

Lovely best thing in the morning with coffee 🌞☕

[@Subfightr]

Absolutely beautiful. Incredible. Wow wow wow.... Wow (sending ovation)

[@poi4ever121]

In my head I hear "Now That's interesting." In Professor Sapolsky's voice during these fascinating talks. And Nice fabric and shirt design. Plus Thank you both 😊

[@andersoestrup8066]

Robert you absolute genius

[@KeithCooper-Albuquerque]

Thanks for posting another great episode! I really learn so much!

[@rodriguezelfeliz4623]

Hi Robert. I don't know if this will reach you, but it's worth a shot (the result is determined anyways): My name is Camilo, and I'm a psychology student at University of La Sabana in Colombia. I'm a huge fan of your work. Every year at our University we have an event where we dedicate a week to behavioral sciences around a certain topic. This year, from 10 to 13 of september we're going to be working on the topic of behavioral sciences and conflict. After reading your books and watching your lectures, I truly believe that your insight on behavioral biology in the context of conflict would be extremely valuable for us. As I'm sure you're aware, my country has a very long history of violence and conflict from which we are trying to recover. I truly believe that having a deeper insight into the biology behind it all, and the deterministic strings that governs it, might help us to view our history in a brand new light and search for ways of healing and preventing some of the horrors that we've witnessed from ever happening again. If you'd be interested in participating in any way, shape or form I would really like to maybe send you some more details. Anyways, let's hope determinism is on my side this time

[@kellyberry4173]

Beautifully done!!! Thank you!

[@IlaughedIcried]

Things are so much better now that Elaine Benes is vice president of the USA! "Yadda Yadda Yadda" was a really successful campaign slogan.

[@twistedoperator4422]

Loved the game theory question!

[@CharlesB-NGNM]

My favorite academic

[@mcd5478]

Love this ❤

[@andreataeggimusic]

It would be interesting to hear prof. Sapolsky elaborate on the "implicitness of the body" piece. I wonder in what ways that can be surprising while we dance

[@Yoseb-d6g]

So, I'm daydreaming about the African Savannah and thinking about the cool hyena stories you tell , then the idea of tameness entered my mind ,then wondered ,um, when did humans tame each other? Did the homosapiens " tame" the neanderthals? ------Did that wipe out the Neanderthals ? Did theNeandrathols go , all , " Black Egg? Thereby getting crushed out by the brutish homosapiens? 😅" Thank you for expanding our minds and hearts Offspring, by sharing these invaluable talks.❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉Keep thinking 😊

[@mariannestrandeng6489]

Cows dance when they are released from the barn during spring. Jumping around, kicking their hind legs, spinning in circles. Mooing in delight. Horses do the same thing. Some dogs dance when they are happy, tapping their paws and jumping around in circles.

[@curiousreporter4292]

Good morning sir Sapolsky Shahid from India

[@jimdwyer986]

Love Science and the Beard.

[@zezezep]

oops, i just dropped my lunch on the laptop

[@nickcaruso]

Love these videos. Has anyone tried Prisoner's Dilemma with Orangutans? Can you make a bad troup of Orangs into a better one by running prisoner's dilemma against them?

[@LaboriousCretin]

3:25 to ad to the trolley problems. A row of people or wall and death to save them. Then, family or wall of death. The locus/closeness/connection grading. 7:06 Also social construct. Styles and differences between cultures. Sometimes associated with matting strategies. 8:29 Yep. Great breakdown. Great video. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work.

[@andrewbaker8373]

Re Trolley Problem: I would shout loud to "Get of the tracks"

[@JaneDoe-ft8sz]

They were tied down. But I like how you think. 🎉🎉

[@Andrewmarkbaker]

@@JaneDoe-ft8sz 😊

[@human498]

The hardening of oneself to be able to commit the atrocity is the problem. If one really believes they're doing the right thing; they should be able to get through it without callousness, while acknowledging their awful decision and behavior, & while feeling the full negative impact of their actions. It is the cowardice of hardening oneself that makes it easier next time, rather than more difficult.

[@Bronco541]

Exactly my thoughts. Why need to harden yourself? You should allow yourself to feel terrible about the one person dying if you belive its the right thing. Whats the altenative? Allow five people to die?

[@human498]

The decision doesn't matter. Whichever choice one makes, they should not make excuses for why an ultimately arbitrary decision is the correct one. Whether letting 5 people die, or actively ending the life of one, harm is done. There are so many additional factors that need to be considered, if a person actually wants to approximate a real-life moral decision. There is no correct or right decision in some cases, & one should recognize the consequences. Harming anyone should never be an easy choice.

[@68chewy]

Would be interested in hearing what you think, observations about Cindy the baboon. (YT channel)

[@jeffkilgore6320]

“Dance like nobody’s watching” is the antithesis of dancing in the first place.

[@Στο_πιο_δικαιο]

Without watching to see which version of trolley you use. I want to say because this is a thought experiment with no right or wrong answers... I would trick everyone into getting on the same track and then direct the trolley down the track where I have asked everyone to gather.

[@philosophicalmixedmedia]

The interpretation highlights the suboptimal outcome in the human Prisoner's Dilemma, where both participants "rat" on each other, serving jail time. This is contrasted with the rat experiment, where the absence of a theory of mind seemingly prevents them from calculating their way into a similar suboptimal situation. The researchers in the rat experiment could only offer incentives through the peripheral nervous system, lacking the complex communication available to humans.

[@christinley5213]

Tit for tat with the bats.. that so amazing. Science is so kool:) love the beard.. keep bringing it;)… i did the dance off also lol

[@danielsanichiban]

I've been DJ'ing in nightclubs since 1990, and done my fair share of dancing when I'm not watching and facilitating. From my perspective it is very much a mate attracting behaviour and ritual, questioning that at this stage seems almost silly, and for myself at least sometimes it's joyful in itself, which may be a side effect of it's place in evolution, yes no? who knows but yeah I back that theory.

[@briseboy]

Lekking is the ethological term, and is an accurate assessment of perforance, whether discordant, ugly, or harmonious. Lekking even describes persistent urban centers, which are useful for trading nutritious foods, and varying unnecessary to useful products.

[@parityviolation968]

I disagree. I've seen mating behavior in clubs already as a teenager and disliked it at an emotional level. I know that many females view dancing as an indicator of how good a potential sexual partner is going to be. The way men move may exhibit ability and understanding of how to move in bed. I hated this mentality and I could never wrap my head around doing dancy stuff for the mere purpose of attracting a mate. However, that alone does not give rise to the claim, that this would be the only motivation for dancing in the first place, even if accounted for indirect causal connections. I, for one, feel rhythm while playing samba on guitar, and my body is itching for movement in line with rhythmic elements. I can't explain the reasons at a scientific level, but I know, it's got nothing to do with attracting mates, even though it could potentially lead to it, if seen by someone welcoming it. I primarily play for myself and love the rhythmic aspects of it. It's a joy in of itself. So to sum up, this is proof by counter example, which is all I need to demonstrate to refute the claim dancing is merely about mate attraction.

[@davidwilkie9551]

Vsauce put this up as a test of potential Railway Employees. Since that time I've thought that that's what soldiers are expected to do, and Police to prevent with their own persons. Further information on this unity-connection explains, at least to me, why people react "heroically" in such situations to unthinkingly act to save whatever life they can, and the trolley problem is indeterminate because the individual decision will rely on prior experience and/or rapid reaction training. Therefore can a Driver of >>50 average years of experience, allow the FSD robot to drive without conscientious monitoring for the kind of very rare event previously encountered and prevented from becoming an accident.

[@davidwilkie9551]

QM-TIME Completeness Singularity-point positioning mathematical logic is the Actuality resonance =>"game"/chemistry of biology.

[@jeremymr]

Why does it feel so good to air guitar and do other animals air guitar and why do I air guitar like Godzilla (yes, Godzilla air guitars, it is canon)?

[@genedalefield]

I'd guess memetics as the function and splendor as the motive? I mean you gotta have confidence, mimicry, and a desire to display yourself.

[@genedalefield]

Really I think the notion of "purpose" he is operating under is too limited, there are many examples of animal behavior that have no purpose in keeping life easier. Though I also don't assume that everything in nature has a purpose, of course there are things that are impurposed, just emerging and staying around without cause. It's one of the comic-tragedies that chance can be a huge determinant.

[@JaneDoe-ft8sz]

I think the arbitrary line is when people have to get their hands dirty. 😨😨

[@quill444]

How I misunderstood 'The Trolley Problem' as a Child _My thought, as a kid, is that you could pull the lever momentarily, and do so at just the right moment, such that the engine would strike some of the people who were on the side track; and then meanwhile, the remainder of the train's cars could then proceed "un-switched" so as to 'mow down' the rest of the people on the original track! And thus ... with some dexterity, skill, and good timing (and perhaps a modicum of luck) you might just get to 'pick off' ALL of them, much like achieving that elusive Seven-Ten-Pin Split in bowling._ - j q t -

[@shibenikvaysyor8309]

Hilarious (or shall I say, *killarious* 😂) The kid was destined to become a serial killer 😂

[@dunk1089]

0:24 is where Robert says that the Trolley Problem was first invented by Aristotle while he was riding a trolley. Trolleys were not invented until some ~2,000 years after Aristotle's time & was actually introduced by a female philosopher named Philipa Foot in 1967 as a way to challenge utilitarianism & Kant's deontology. Not only were trolleys not invented for 2,000+ years after Aristotle's death, but the ideas of both Utilitarianism (Bentham in the 18th century) and Kant (1724-1804) did not exist either. Why would Aristotle invent a thought experiment to challenge the ideas of two ethical theories which did not exist, using a form of locomotion which also did not exist? How did Robert say this with such confidence? & why did Rachel not catch this?

[@OmniversalInsect]

I thought it was a joke...?

[@dunk1089]

@@OmniversalInsectevery other namedrop is historically accurate (e.g. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” etc. What made you think this one reference was a joke, but all of the others were serious?

[@tracy9610]

I thought that was really weird too.

[@OmniversalInsect]

@dunk1089 I thought it was obvious such trolleys didn't exist in that time, and Plato was mentioned because he is one of the most well known philosophers.

[@dunk1089]

@@OmniversalInsect it seems a bit generous that you’d assume anything Robert says that is glaringly wrong is a joke; why do you afford him such grace?

[@SonaliPurewal]

Hi Robert .. you have to watch Seinfeld .. I can guarantee that you will love the humour ..

[@stuartsmith5146]

Trigger word: Dance 😏 Types of dance in America: line, hip hop, break, pole, ballet, jazz, folklorico, blues, modern, contemporary, flamenco, bachata, merengue, kronk, tango, square, slow, pogo,… I really don’t think I can list all of them - just in America. World wide we start at Sufi, Haka, Japanese Theater… it’s endless.

[@stevenlaube7535]

the game thing seems more like a sociopath trying to OK there lack of moral dilemma because cause and effect if the 1 went onto kill ten baby by smothering them stupid question or one of the 5 saved 10 baby's its like my old job of mucking out stables the horse shit never ends . good talk "Bob"

[@bryanteaston7264]

I've always thought dancing is odd human behavior. I even took lessons and still didn't get it. Maybe I'm the anomaly.

[@arthurghahramanyan3279]

People subcontiously dislike to touch other people, that is the core of the problem of moral assymetry.

[@arthurghahramanyan3279]

Which is an innate behaviour targeted at protecting from infections.

[@Dinoslayer-ee3te]

algorithm

[@napalmholocaust9093]

If I can't even state someone else's solution to the trolley problem, there's no point being here. What a poor environment for thought 👎

[@infinidimensionalinfinitie5021]

it's a mirror for me; agree and disagreeing; in motions of densities; too fluid to understand in details; but waves of particles; seem real; unless i perceive otherwise;

[@briseboy]

Coalition by definition is temporary. Humans do not differ from other animals who make coalitions, and WILL defect, unless oddly, willing to die for the coalition. Kin selection appears to describe self-sacrifice, statistically. Families have their Sydney Cartons, who, needing social allies so desperately that they sacrifice themselves, indicates that we are obligate social. While tragic, we seem phenotypically hard-wired to be desperate, and to even make the most horrible coalition, experiencing betrayal after betrayal, yet feeling the need to make another, only sometimes wiser, coalition, until we dissolve as an individual.

[@michellebagnall1953]

thank you very much for this fantastic platform it is wonderful listening and learning from you - soulearbrainfood. ❤