From: ct (tilley314@attbi.com)
Date: Wed May 22 2002 - 09:28:02 MDT
At 06:45 PM 5/21/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> Note that I
>never said that there were not women who were
>individually much better than the average man. My
>position is strictly that on average, women are less
>valuable, and I further restricted that to present day
>America.
Well, hmmm.
====================================================
Two hundred humans have gathered on an isolated island.
Stratification(age/gender):
5yo 10F/10M
15yo 10F/10M
25yo 10F/10M
35yo 10F/10M
45yo 10F/10M
55yo 10F/10M
65yo 10F/10M
75yo 10F/10M
85yo 10F/10M
95yo 10F/10M
All 200 have just been exposed to a toxin that is fatal within 72hrs.
You have sufficient antidote to "save" 70 humans. You must choose seven
groups (age/gender) of ten each that will receive the anti-sera.
Which groups do you save?
=====================================================
Admittedly, this is a poorly constructed study. However, it does provide
gross information as to your personal system of human life valuation.
A rigorous study could involve CV (contingent valuation) and WTP
(willingness to pay) to elicit a more representative valuation of human
life by age and gender. Similar assessments have been done to gauge public
opinion in allocating limited resources for risk reduction in areas ranging
from auto safety to GMO's.
Reference Values for Human Life:
www-cenerg.ensmp.fr/english/themes/impact/ pdf/Desaigues&Rabl1995.pdf
====================================================
A more current project assessing human life valuation can be viewed through
the EPA's STAR program (Science To Achieve Results). See Part 2: Valuation
of Avoiding Delayed-Onset and Long-Term Health Risks
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/chilval01.html
This deals with applying value to current reductions in risk, where the
outcome (measured in morbidity and mortality) is significantly delayed.
Cancer and obesity would be two prime examples.
[Complicating factors influencing valuation include both risk and
population characteristics. Risk characteristics that may affect valuations
of health risks include: timing of the premature fatality, the nature of
the associated morbidity and the dread and/or fear associated with the
risk, voluntariness and controllability of the risk, the public vs. private
nature of the risk (and resulting considerations of altruistic
preferences), and other psychological factors that may affect risk
perceptions. Population characteristics include: income, risk attitudes,
age, and health status of the affected population. Health risks may differ
across all of these factors and, consequently, so may preferences and
willingness-to-pay.]
I am personally interested in the factor "dread and/or fear associated with
the risk". Perhaps greater current risk reduction would ensue if obesity
and Alzheimer's exchanged delayed manifestations. Fit the punishment to the
crime, if-you will.
So. In this infinite world of finite memory with infinite lifetime
iterations, is there space/time for a permutation or two?
But, then, I refer to the Encarta definition for iteration and realize that
permutation isn't a requirement after all.
iteration:
1. Repetition. The instance or the act of doing something again.
2. Math. Step-by-Step Process. A process of achieving a desired result by
repeating a sequence of steps and successively getting closer to that result.
3. Comput. Repetition of Steps. The repetition of a sequence of
instructions in a computer program until a result is achieved.
Now, if only each iteration didn't take So Very Long!
Patience is a virtue afforded many adults, but of little value to either
the young or the aged. (whose perception of time is compressed...relatively
speaking)
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