It is this then which I call the true epistemic prisoner's dilemma. If I tell you a story about two doctors, even if I tell you to put yourself in the shoes of one, and not the other, it is easy for you to take yourself outside them, see the symmetry and say "the doctors should cooperate". I hope I have now broken some of that emotional symmetry.

As Omega lead the creationist to the other room, you would (I know I certainly would) make a convulsive effort to convince him of the truth of evolution.

It seems like it would be wiser to forgo the arguments for evolution and spend your time talking about cooperating.

But of course, you would fail. And the door would shut, and you would grit your teeth, and curse 2000 years of screamingly bad epistemic hygiene, and weep bitterly for the people who might die in a few hours because of your counterpart's ignorance. And then -- I hope -- you would cooperate.

By the way, while we are adding direct emotional weight to this example, the real villain here is Omega. In all honesty, the Young Earth Creationist cannot be blamed for sending untold numbers to their death because of a bad belief. The bad belief has nothing to do with the asteroid and any moral link between the two should be placed on Omega.