I need help answering this question as part of a masters application

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You are a passenger aboard a luxury ship which finds itself becalmed in the Bermuda Triangle, due to a mysterious engine fault. Neither the captain, nor the engineers and mechanics, can decipher the inexplicable fault. At the same time, the radio system becomes afflicted with a similar mysterious breakdown and no radio contact can be established with land bases or other vessels. It is a desperate situation-the atmosphere aboard is tense, the crew feels helpless and depressed and the passengers panic-stricken.

You alone, among all aboard, are aware that one of your fellow passengers is in fact a Nobel prize-winning physicist with specialized knowledge of all kinds of energy transmission. However, he is a political refugee, travelling incognito and disclosure of his identity would lead to extradition to his war-torn country and certain execution. How would you act in this situation? What would your goals be? How would you go about achieving them?

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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 3,165 • Replies: 11

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@Aisha Omar,

The engine failure was probably due to ionization of the air inside the distributor cap. Remove it. Put it back on. No problem.

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I would talk to him and try to get ideas. Then I would suggest those ideas to the crew as if they were my own ideas (if he agrees). In no case would I ever disclose his identity.

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@Aisha Omar,

The goal would be to signal for help. Rather than relying on one man to solve an unknown problem, I would suggest draining the swimming pool and starting a large, smokey fire using oil-soaked bedding and plastic.

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@Aisha Omar,

s ponderer correctly advised.
1Dont believe the BS about a "bermuda triangle" that can somehow be solved by some refugee physicit. (How do we know hes not an expert only in physical chemistry?). By the way the problem is stated Youre being led to only think about some tale of the supernatural and thats just dumb. Think outside the box and stop believing in Netflix Movies.

2Figure out the best way to signal others. Im ure theres a world of cell phones and sat phones abooard. IS the wifi working??

3 Compasses are no longer just magnetic, you probably hve satellite nav capabilities that can be drawn upon

4Lighting a smoky fire using several borax compounds will impart a green smoke that can be seen for miles. Someone of the engineers can also rig a rudimentary Morse code generator from a spare generator and bare wires. If all else fails, go real low tech and send SOS by "spark code".

Is your MS in parapsych?

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The thread is tagged Psychology. I assume that the point of the exercise is not to actually come up with a technical way of seeking help, but to think about the moral dilemma of a situation where you can extricate yourself from danger only by putting someone else in even greater danger.

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@oralloy,

we only have the stated problem. Always start there, never invoke drama .

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@farmerman,

But...the crew felt helpless and depressed. And the passengers were panicking.
Imagine what they did when they saw a pirate ship on the horizon.

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@Ponderer,

the Liner had 25 mm deck guns rigged up so the kids could fire em like video games. Boy were those pirates surprised.?

I need help answering this question as part of a masters application

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