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You can only save one— who do you choose? - Doug MacKay

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TEDEd Animation

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You are the captain of an interstellar cargo transport headed to port when you receive two distress calls. The first is from a labor ship, whose passengers are running out of oxygen. The other from a luxury space cruiser which has lost a thruster, sending them careening into danger. With only enough time to save one ship, which should you choose? Doug MacKay explores this classic ethical dilemma.

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August, George, and Samia must decide on a restaurant for dinner. One restaurant serves pizza, another serves sushi, and another serves vegan food. On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest score), each expects to receive the following amount of happiness from each restaurant. August’s ratings: pizza=9; sushi=6; vegan=3. George’s ratings: pizza=2; sushi=5; vegan=8. Samia’s ratings: pizza=9; sushi=6; vegan=8. Which restaurant is best from the utilitarian perspective?

About TED-Ed Animations

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 Doug Mackay
  • Director Avi Ofer
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Music Stephen LaRosa
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

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