4 ms·

1kg of gold is 1/10th the size of a coke can and is worth around $40k. If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonabl

1kg of gold is 1/10th the size of a coke can and is worth around $40k. If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonable choice.

stcredzero 9y ago
If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonable choice. I wasn't talking about a life threatening situation. I was talking about a "life threatened by not being able to float well enough to breathe" situation combined with a "life threatened by not getting out of a sinking thing fast enough" situation. Also if you think it's a reasonable choice, and the next person thinks it's a crazy choice, that supports my point instead of contradicting it. (And yes, I planned that out!)
- user5994461 9y ago
  I was merely illustrating that gold has high value and high density. The hypothetical "1kg gold bar" would be the size of a highlighter more or less. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlighter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlighter
  - stcredzero 9y ago
    Bothering to retrieve something so dense and heavy during a chaotic situation where being buoyant enough is a life or death issue -- it's worth a lot of money, but is it worth your life? If you're a very confident, strong swimmer, then maybe that's a rational choice. If you're certain that there's going to be rescue in just a few minutes, then maybe that's a rational choice. If the time and effort it takes to retrieve the thing isn't going to cost you your life by losing you a place dry and out of freezing water, then maybe that's a rational choice. What if all of those above knobs are cranked over to the most unfavorable position? This is precisely my point: The value of something is highly contextual. The context might well be different for each individual at different times.

4 ms·

1kg of gold is 1/10th the size of a coke can and is worth around $40k. If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonabl

by user5994461 9y ago

1kg of gold is 1/10th the size of a coke can and is worth around $40k. If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonable choice.

stcredzero 9y ago
If you want to save something in a life threatening situation, that's a fairly reasonable choice. I wasn't talking about a life threatening situation. I was talking about a "life threatened by not being able to float well enough to breathe" situation combined with a "life threatened by not getting out of a sinking thing fast enough" situation. Also if you think it's a reasonable choice, and the next person thinks it's a crazy choice, that supports my point instead of contradicting it. (And yes, I planned that out!)
- user5994461 9y ago
  I was merely illustrating that gold has high value and high density. The hypothetical "1kg gold bar" would be the size of a highlighter more or less. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlighter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highlighter
  - stcredzero 9y ago
    Bothering to retrieve something so dense and heavy during a chaotic situation where being buoyant enough is a life or death issue -- it's worth a lot of money, but is it worth your life? If you're a very confident, strong swimmer, then maybe that's a rational choice. If you're certain that there's going to be rescue in just a few minutes, then maybe that's a rational choice. If the time and effort it takes to retrieve the thing isn't going to cost you your life by losing you a place dry and out of freezing water, then maybe that's a rational choice. What if all of those above knobs are cranked over to the most unfavorable position? This is precisely my point: The value of something is highly contextual. The context might well be different for each individual at different times.