Science Hypothetical: You win a trip into space, or ... - Page 2

**Rain Man** · 02-25-2014, 03:24 PM

Here's the scenario:

Your local dairy decides to sponsor a "Cow Jumped Over The Moon" contest, where first prize is a one-week trip to space. The winner will go to central Russia, board some massive Russian rocket along with a Bulgarian cosmonaut and an American mission control person, and will enjoy a one-week stay aboard the International Space Station. (I'm not sure how space travelers get back down these days, but that's a detail we can figure out later.)

You are one of 12 people who win a sweepstakes to go into the finals. You show up and compete against the other 11 in a decathlon of dairy-related contests. You do well in the cheese trivia and cow leaping contests, but struggle during the yogurt swim and bull riding.

You're in second place entering the final event, which butter eating. The first-place contestant, a charming young Bowdoin College coed, downs four sticks of butter, but with iron resolve you lay the hammer down and eat 5.5 sticks to take the win. She goes home with second prize, which is a year's supply of chocolate milk.

So you've won. The ISS trip is yours. But not everyone is excited about entering space. The Russians aren't into safety all that much, and it's a rough trip up, and space sickness happens, and if a 25-cent bolt fails you die gasping in absolute zero before your body falls into the sun.

So you have an option:

1. You can take the one-week trip to the ISS. All prize taxes and intermediate travel costs will be paid by the dairy.
2. You can take a one-time cash prize of $150,000, with all prize taxes paid by the dairy.

Which do you take?

seclark · 02-25-2014, 03:48 PM

I wanna trade for the chocolate milk.
sec

Third Eye · 02-25-2014, 03:50 PM

ISS, without a second thought. $150k is nice, but it's not really that much. Somebody said increase it by a factor of 100 and they'd take the money. Well, I wouldn't need that much to change my mind, maybe a factor of 10.

**hometeam** · 02-25-2014, 03:50 PM

I love space. I would love to goto space.

But compare that to paying off my house and providing a better life for my family?

The value in time/usefulness on a space trip is not good.

Katipan · 02-25-2014, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hometeam

I love space. I would love to goto space.

But compare that to paying off my house and providing a better life for my family?

The value in time/usefulness on a space trip is not good.

No way the contest/trip couldn't be turned into a book that made way more than 150K.

**Canofbier** · 02-25-2014, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Third Eye

ISS, without a second thought. $150k is nice, but it's not really that much. Somebody said increase it by a factor of 100 and they'd take the money. Well, I wouldn't need that much to change my mind, maybe a factor of 10.

Almost exactly what I was going to say. $150k isn't enough to change my life very much. Being one of a very select group of individuals who can have the experience of living/being in Space: nearly priceless.

If they're offering $1.5 million, I'd consider the cash.
If they're offering $10 or $15 million, I'd take the cash for sure.

**hometeam** · 02-25-2014, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katipan

No way the contest/trip couldn't be turned into a book that made way more than 150K.

Not by me it couldnt

tooge · 02-25-2014, 03:59 PM

I'll take the cash unless I get to pick the other 11 people, which changes the game completely. In fact, that would be a good follow up question.

**alnorth** · 02-25-2014, 04:03 PM

man, look at all those beaten-down domesticated people. $150,000 isn't much money. Paying off your mortgage? That is your dream?

Bizarre difference in philosophy, I guess. To me, the meaning of life is the accumulation of fantastic experiences which often but not always comes from vacations. These experiences don't end when you are done or get back home, they live on in your memory.

I don't get up every day and go to work to pay off my house, I do it so that I can hopefully save enough money someday to stop working, and then its party time.

The only reason why I'd probably take the money if it was $15MM is because even though the intangible value of the ISS voyage would be incredibly high, I can probably make up for it with that fat wad of cash because I could quit immediately and do stuff for an additional few decades more than planned.

**Buehler445** · 02-25-2014, 04:09 PM

Meh. Pretty sure it costs more than 150 large to get someone to space, so on a purely NPV basis space makes decent sense. But I'm a cheap ****. I'm a CHEAP ****.

Is it taxable? If so, what's the value of the space trip? If I have to pay tax on space trip no go. Not even close.

So what are the tax implications?

**Rain Man** · 02-25-2014, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Meh. Pretty sure it costs more than 150 large to get someone to space, so on a purely NPV basis space makes decent sense. But I'm a cheap ****. I'm a CHEAP ****.

Is it taxable? If so, what's the value of the space trip? If I have to pay tax on space trip no go. Not even close.

So what are the tax implications?

This is addressed in the opening thread, because paying prize taxes on a $10 million space trip would eat you alive. The dairy will cover all taxes for both prizes. There's a lot of money in Big Dairy, so they won't even blink.

cosmo20002 · 02-25-2014, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

So you have an option:

1. You can take the one-week trip to the ISS. All prize taxes and intermediate travel costs will be paid by the dairy.
2. You can take a one-time cash prize of $150,000, with all prize taxes paid by the dairy.

Which do you take?

I'd love to go into space, but I wouldn't pay $150K to do it at this point.

What would the Tang situation be?

AndChiefs · 02-25-2014, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Meh. Pretty sure it costs more than 150 large to get someone to space, so on a purely NPV basis space makes decent sense. But I'm a cheap ****. I'm a CHEAP ****.

Is it taxable? If so, what's the value of the space trip? If I have to pay tax on space trip no go. Not even close.

So what are the tax implications?

You may want to re-read.

saphojunkie · 02-25-2014, 04:12 PM

It's an honor just to be nominated.

Katipan · 02-25-2014, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hometeam

Not by me it couldnt

It could be a book about nothing and it would sell. Document your bowel movements and it would be made into a coffee table book.

**KC Dan** · 02-25-2014, 04:14 PM

Even though it would cost a ton more, I'd go in debt to the tune of $250k to go into space. Easily

View Poll Results: Which prize option would you take? (See back story in thread header.)
One-week trip to the International Space Station	21	35.59%
$150,000 in cash	37	62.71%
I would take neither. My real prize is in winning the contest in the first place.	1	1.69%
My answer depends on whether I can take my dog. My dog and I go everywhere together.	0	0%
Voters: 59. You may not vote on this poll

02-25-2014, 03:24 PM
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3348491 VARSITY	Hypothetical: You win a trip into space, or ... Here's the scenario: Your local dairy decides to sponsor a "Cow Jumped Over The Moon" contest, where first prize is a one-week trip to space. The winner will go to central Russia, board some massive Russian rocket along with a Bulgarian cosmonaut and an American mission control person, and will enjoy a one-week stay aboard the International Space Station. (I'm not sure how space travelers get back down these days, but that's a detail we can figure out later.) You are one of 12 people who win a sweepstakes to go into the finals. You show up and compete against the other 11 in a decathlon of dairy-related contests. You do well in the cheese trivia and cow leaping contests, but struggle during the yogurt swim and bull riding. You're in second place entering the final event, which butter eating. The first-place contestant, a charming young Bowdoin College coed, downs four sticks of butter, but with iron resolve you lay the hammer down and eat 5.5 sticks to take the win. She goes home with second prize, which is a year's supply of chocolate milk. So you've won. The ISS trip is yours. But not everyone is excited about entering space. The Russians aren't into safety all that much, and it's a rough trip up, and space sickness happens, and if a 25-cent bolt fails you die gasping in absolute zero before your body falls into the sun. So you have an option: 1. You can take the one-week trip to the ISS. All prize taxes and intermediate travel costs will be paid by the dairy. 2. You can take a one-time cash prize of $150,000, with all prize taxes paid by the dairy. Which do you take?
Posts: 141,312

02-25-2014, 03:48 PM	#16
seclark MVP Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: nemo Casino cash: $1719900	I wanna trade for the chocolate milk. sec __________________ "Mr. seclark. Wrong for gravy, wrong for jelly, wrong for biscuits." -rj "If every Planeteer who was disliked by another Planeteer stopped being a Planeteer we wouldn't have any Planeteers." -rj
Posts: 13,399

02-25-2014, 03:50 PM	#17
Third Eye Veteran Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: JoCo Casino cash: $1680860	ISS, without a second thought. $150k is nice, but it's not really that much. Somebody said increase it by a factor of 100 and they'd take the money. Well, I wouldn't need that much to change my mind, maybe a factor of 10.
Posts: 3,441

02-25-2014, 03:50 PM	#18
hometeam Supporter Join Date: Jul 2011 Casino cash: $4141956	I love space. I would love to goto space. But compare that to paying off my house and providing a better life for my family? The value in time/usefulness on a space trip is not good.
Posts: 10,636

02-25-2014, 03:59 PM	#22
tooge MVP Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Liberty, MO Casino cash: $3974112	I'll take the cash unless I get to pick the other 11 people, which changes the game completely. In fact, that would be a good follow up question.
Posts: 14,977

02-25-2014, 04:03 PM	#23
alnorth . Join Date: Dec 2002 Casino cash: $57176239	man, look at all those beaten-down domesticated people. $150,000 isn't much money. Paying off your mortgage? That is your dream? Bizarre difference in philosophy, I guess. To me, the meaning of life is the accumulation of fantastic experiences which often but not always comes from vacations. These experiences don't end when you are done or get back home, they live on in your memory. I don't get up every day and go to work to pay off my house, I do it so that I can hopefully save enough money someday to stop working, and then its party time. The only reason why I'd probably take the money if it was $15MM is because even though the intangible value of the ISS voyage would be incredibly high, I can probably make up for it with that fat wad of cash because I could quit immediately and do stuff for an additional few decades more than planned. __________________ how many emo kids does it take to change a lightbulb? HOW MANY?! none they just sit in the dark and cry
Posts: 36,130

02-25-2014, 04:09 PM	#24
Buehler445 Supporter Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scott City KS Casino cash: $2344734	Meh. Pretty sure it costs more than 150 large to get someone to space, so on a purely NPV basis space makes decent sense. But I'm a cheap **. I'm a CHEAP **. Is it taxable? If so, what's the value of the space trip? If I have to pay tax on space trip no go. Not even close. So what are the tax implications?
Posts: 56,771

02-25-2014, 04:12 PM	#28
saphojunkie MVP Join Date: Aug 2011 Casino cash: $4776250	It's an honor just to be nominated.
Posts: 12,558

02-25-2014, 04:14 PM	#30
KC Dan Red, White & Blue for the U.S. Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: The Great Northwest now.. Casino cash: $1644235	Even though it would cost a ton more, I'd go in debt to the tune of $250k to go into space. Easily __________________ "And if you don't know where you're going Any road will take you there" - George Harrison
Posts: 6,992