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Would you opt for a life with no pain? - Hayley Levitt and Bethany Rickwald

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TEDEd Animation

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Imagine if you could plug your brain into a machine that would bring you ultimate pleasure for the rest of your life. The only catch? You have to permanently leave reality behind. Hayley Levitt and Bethany Rickwald explore Robert Nozick’s thought experiment that he called the Experience Machine.

Provide your own real-life example of a situation in which a person might not choose to maximize their net pleasure.

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Bethany Rickwald, Hayley Levitt
  • Director Avi Ofer
  • Animator Avi Ofer
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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