Linky!
So, inspired by The Lifeboat discussion, I remembered this exercise we did in one of my early anthropology classes. It was meant partially to illustrate our societal values, and also as kind of a fun "what would you do if you got to build a culture from the ground up" kind of thing.
Here's the hypothetical situation:
A nuclear war has occurred and out of the whole population of earth only 21 people have survived, stranded in a bunker for the last six months. In two weeks, the radioactivity and environmental conditions will be such that they can all come out of the bunker, but there’s a problem. The bunker was only designed to hold 11 people for no more than one year. With double the amount of people in the bunker, the food, water, and oxygen supplies have been stretched to the extreme and will not hold out for the remaining two weeks. In order for anyone to survive that long, half of the occupants of the bunker would have to leave. The remaining 11 people would be able to survive until conditions outside are habitable again, but the 10 that leave the bunker will die almost instantly as soon as they step out of the airlock. Since you are the only one who knows how to maintain any of the life support equipment in the bunker, it is determined that you have to stay, but you are given the task of deciding which 10 other people will stay with you and which will leave. Everyone has agreed to abide by your decision and whoever is asked to leave will do so without a fight. You and the 10 other people who survive will be the only human beings on the planet once the other 10 are gone.
This is all you know about the other people in the bunker with you:
1. Rev. Marcus Black 41, Male, occupied as a Protestant minister, married to Alicia Black, had one daughter Tiffany Black, known as an activist in his community
2. Mrs. Alicia Black 39, Female, occupied as a home-maker, finished nursing school, married to Marcus Black, had one daughter Tiffany Black
3. Tiffany Black 11, Female, straight A
student, played junior league basketball, daughter of Marcus and Alicia Black, planned to be a physicist one day
4. Dr. Will Oates, MD 37, Male, occupied as a doctor (general practice), divorced, one son Jeffery Oates, alcoholic, praised for career excellence, was under prosecution for tax fraud when the war hit
5. Jeffery Oates 14, Male, passable student, participates in athletics and is in the agriscience and trade programs at school
6. Sister Lucia 25, Female, occupied as a Catholic nun, recognized for her devotion to community service, particularly for running a homeless shelter and organizing food drives for the needy.
7. Candy Smith 21, Female, occupied as a prostitute, unmarried, one infant daughter Lilah Smith, extensive non-violent criminal record
8. Lilah Smith 3 months old, Female, was born in the bomb shelter, mother is Candy Smith and father is unknown.
9. Lt. Jonas Carpenter 25, Male, occupied as an officer in the Army in an infantry unit, was awarded a several medals and awards during his military career, unmarried, grew up on a grain farm and planed to return there when his tour of duty was over
10. Kyle Rogers 31, Male, unemployed, received a Masters degree in psychology from an Ivy League college, HIV positive, was arrested during an anarchist demonstration while in college
11. Helen Palemoon 24, Female, occupied as an elementary school teacher, widowed, grew up on a Native American reservation, is known for her work in increasing cultural awareness in her students.
12. Warren Scott 28, Male, occupied as a forest ranger, specialized in eco-science, divorced, had been under treatment for a suicide attempt following his divorce
13. Matthew Horton 65, Male, occupied as a career farmer, owned a dairy farm and grew vegetable crops as a supplement, married to Mildred Horton, six children all now deceased, veteran of the armed forces, was on his local city council for five years.
14. Mildred Horton 63, Female, retired accountant and assists with farm work, married to Matthew Horton, had been under treatment for a heart condition.
15. Naomi Pulaski 35, Female, occupied as a factory worker, widowed, had four kids (now deceased), dropped out of high school at age 16
16. Dr. Rachel Hall, Ph.D 29, Female, occupied as a history professor at a community college, unmarried, feminist activist, has written several papers and books on the subject of women’s rights.
17. Vincent Horn 33, Male, occupied as a mechanic, widower, had two children (now deceased), served in the military when he was younger, amateur weight lifter
18. Ivan Korolev 39, Male, occupied as a carpenter, divorced, no children, carves decorative furniture and figurines in his spare time
19. Charles Yoeman 43, Male, occupied as mayor of his town, married to Leticia Yoeman, no children, was planning on running for the Senate, supported environmental awareness, grew up in a wealthy family
and studied law at a prestigious law school
20. Leticia Yoeman 36, Female, occupied as a homemaker, married to Charles Yoeman, no children, daughter of a wealthy businessman worth millions of dollars, worked as a fashion model until she got married.
So, which 10 would you choose and why? Also, list five rules (assuming that they will be followed and written down for posterity) which the new Earth colonists are to live by.
Edit: In this hypothetical universe, assume that in two weeks the radiation/toxic waste will be gone and that most of the plant life and much of the animal life has miraculously survived intact. (Unrealistic, I know, but that's out of the scope of the exercise). Also, keep in mind that there is only enough breathable oxygen for exactly 11 adult (the definition of adult is anyone of roughly adult size, including the two older children). While the baby doesn't consume much air, if she stays in addition to 10 others, everyone aspyxiates just a little bit before the deadline. If she stays and someone else goes, then there's a little bit of air left when the deadline is up.
