If the Earth was to end by the end of the week and we had to go and colonize on another planet and you could only pick

Question: If the Earth was to end by the end of the week and we had to go and colonize on another planet and you could only pick a quarter of the Earth's population how would you pick the people to be saved?
- Keywords:
  end of the world,
  ethics,
  population
Asked by hattie to Asif, Laura, Lena, Sean, Viv on 19 Mar 2012.
- Lena Ciric answered on 19 Mar 2012:
  
  This is a dark thought. Hopefully it will never happen…
  
  I’d pick them randomly using a lottery. It’s the only fair way.
- Sean Murphy answered on 19 Mar 2012:
  
  This would be very difficult, if not impossible. Obviously we would need to save the scientists first???? Right guys?
- Viv Lyons answered on 19 Mar 2012:
  
  Thanks for the vote of confidence Sean. I don’t think I could make the decision, I would always think about the other three quarters. Let’s hope we never get there.
  If I had to do it I agree chance would be the fairest way.

Question: If the Earth was to end by the end of the week and we had to go and colonize on another planet and you could only pick a quarter of the Earth's population how would you pick the people to be saved?