5 Comments
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MetalMoomin's avatar

This is sublime. Thank you, I think, for turning my brain inside out.

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CarlW's avatar

I'm not sure I get the point. Crying baby noises are unpleasant. This is instinctual to humans, primates, and many other animals. I would unplug without hesitation. I doubt this makes those who would pause less human.

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Jakob Guhl (Out There)'s avatar

Why would pausing on unplugging the crying baby sounds surrender your humanity? I was expecting the reverse 🤔

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KDimitrov's avatar

The answer is: it depends. Who are you, what kind of life you have, what is at stake, what are the trade-offs...

I've had the same thoughts about animal rights and the vegan movement. Well-off Westerners, with no kids, whose every need is satisfied tend to anthropomorphize animals and transfer their unfulfilled parental instincts in their direction. I assume they may have qualms about unplugging the robot, too.

A struggling mother of five in a poor country would not think twice about slaughtering a little lamb or goat to feed her family. She would also most likely pull the robot plug to save electricity, without much thought.

It depends.

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Fereydoun's avatar

Great piece. Thank you very much.

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