The trolley problem
About 3–6 minutes · One starting situation and two variations
Consider the number saved and the way you intervene.
Content note
Includes hypothetical deaths and physical sacrifice. Simple character animations are shown, without gore or sound effects.
Choose another experimentA switch beside the track
A runaway freight vehicle is heading toward five people on a track. One person is on a side track. You can operate a switch to divert the vehicle there; no warning, braking, or other rescue is possible.
The outcomes are certain in this fictional case: doing nothing kills the five and spares the one; diverting saves the five and kills the one.
What would you do?
- Divert the vehicle
- Leave its course unchanged