02 May 2007

Russian Roulette

So in the X Files eXco class I'm taking (a 1 credit class taught by fellow students or community members on almost any subject imaginable), there was a presentation on an episode we watched a couple of weeks ago. The episode is called "Pusher", and it's about this guy with the ability to mentally force his will on others. Late in the episode, he forces Mulder to play Russian Roulette with him, and at one point has Mulder point the loaded gun at Scully instead of at himself.
The presenters mentioned that the Wikipedia article about Russian Roulette involves a really complex formula about one's chances of losing. I was intrigued, so I checked it out. Turns out, it really is complex. There are also several young people who have foolishly played and lost. But there's one instance that kind of makes me laugh/sigh:
"In 1999, three Cambodian men all got drunk, and decided to play Russian Roulette with a land mine, each taking turns to stamp on the mine. The three died in a great explosion minutes later. They were later posthumously awarded a Darwin Award."
I don't know if the Darwin Awards are a good thing or not. They make death seem slightly more humorous to smart people, which includes pretty much everyone I know, but I suppose the recipients end up having their ridiculous, fatal decisions magnified. But, then again, they kind of deserve it. A land mine? Seriously.

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