Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by ilitirit 6250 days ago
> What?!

He raises a very pertinent issue; it's just not that clear in this context.

Here's an extreme, yet simplistic analogy:

Suppose scientists discover that green-eyed people are used as transmission vectors by a lethal flu virus. A cure can be found, but it would take at least a decade to complete the research and testing. Scientists estimate that the virus will kill 90% of mankind within 5 years.

Should we round up and isolate all green-eyed people? Should we kill them?

1 comments

That choice seems more obviously between two evils than the climate change issue. :)

I do acknowledge, as the other commenter suggested, that my view may be warped by being from the USA, where the battle is still about whether it exists at all.

It's not about climate change - it's an analogy. It's not a choice between two evils either (you could round them up AND kill them). And of course you could propose a multitude of different solutions beside or in addition to these.

My point was that science cannot be used to justify all the choices you make in cases like these.