What Educational Path Lets You Change The World?

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2006
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Just for curiosity, title is just to get you in here mostly (a little hyperbole).

Which degree do you people (hehe :awe:) think best provides you the knowledge to change the world in a very large way?

Engineering (including Computer Science)?
Chemistry?
Physics?
Mathematics?
Biology?

I'm not majoring in any of those, but I always thought if you had knowledge from a background of Biology / Chemistry / Computer Science maybe you'd have a good foundation to create a game changer.

Physics / Mathematics and Engineering? Perhaps that would empower you as well.

Thoughts?
 
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Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
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I think most fields make you a small cog in a huge machine. I'd say its up to the individual to make their work world changing, no matter what the field is.
 

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2006
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I think most fields make you a small cog in a huge machine. I'd say its up to the individual to make their work world changing, no matter what the field is.

Seriously though, I see so many people in this country in college every day barely trying, and some trying their asses off. Of those trying their asses off an okay portion will make a nice, secure future for themselves and a very, very tiny fraction will do something that lives on through history.

As people we educate millions of citizens a year with the sums of our knowledge in various fields.

Are we doomed to merely provide a great footing to advance humanity further so that footing can just be used as a checkbox by some person in HR?

Seems a bit...selfish for society as a collective.

Who am I to talk though? I do care about having food / lodging / being able to relax someday.

Besides, while I enjoy some stuff as a hobby that I think could help on the cutting edge, I don't have the skills to really take it to the next level like some of that tiny, tiny, fraction does.

Meh..just rambling I guess, but..I don't know, just wanted to hear an "ATOT Thought".
 

Leros

Lifer
Jul 11, 2004
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Seriously though, I see so many people in this country in college every day barely trying, and some trying their asses off. <snipped>

You can work your ass off and still be a cog. You'll just be a cog who gets promotions.

If you want to do something truly world changing, you have to do something different. You're not going to go work for company X and be famous. You've got to make your own business, start your own venture, etc.

Doing stuff outside "the system" is really risky and you'll probably fail unless you're amazingly awesome at what you do and very lucky on top of that.
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
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Of those listed biology might be the easiest. Create a super virus/bacteria and you can take out everyone. Otherwise, you would have to be in the very top of anything else listed.
 

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2006
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You can work your ass off and still be a cog. You'll just be a cog who gets promotions.

If you want to do something truly world changing, you have to do something different. You're not going to go work for company X and be famous. You've got to make your own business, start your own venture, etc.

Doing stuff outside "the system" is really risky and you'll probably fail unless you're amazingly awesome at what you do and very lucky on top of that.

You are right Leros, 100% correct. I know that as well. :hmm:

Sometimes you just have to ask the question though, because when you look at humanity as a whole we sometimes appear...just a little bit crazy.

But hey, there is the old saying about genius and insanity, so maybe it will all work out for the best in the end. :D
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
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Social engineering, everything else is just a tool for those who have vast social networks.
 

KeypoX

Diamond Member
Aug 31, 2003
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Lots of research in science is changing the world. But most of the time it takes years to see.

But think about it, how the world has changed, a ton of people contributed to those changes.
 

TruePaige

Diamond Member
Oct 22, 2006
9,874
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Lots of research in science is changing the world. But most of the time it takes years to see.

But think about it, how the world has changed, a ton of people contributed to those changes.

But relative to the 7,000,000,000+ people in the world it's a pretty small amount, don't you think?

Maybe it's like a pyramid and they are on top of theirs and need the support of others?
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
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purity.png
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
44
91
Fascism & Communism 101
The art of war 101
Psychology 101
Politics 200
The art of manipulation 200
Armies and how to build one 201
Despotism 300
Genocide 350
Nuclear Brinkmanship 400

+ your regular breadth requirements.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
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Do you mean change the world and get direct credit for it? (like there would be a Wikipedia entry about you?)

*prepare for sappy answer*

As I had to write paper after paper reflecting about why the heck I was interested in going into Elementary Education, I eventually came to the conclusion that it's probably a pretty good way to make a positive impact on the world.

If you think back to your childhood, there are probably one or two teachers that really stood out to you and inspired your interest in something or sent you down a better path in life. If you could become one of those teachers who consistently makes a positive impact in the lives of many students year after year, you'd potentially be sending out wave after wave of people that are slightly more likely to do better things with their lives. Maybe one of them will make that world changing event.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
44
91
Do you mean change the world and get direct credit for it? (like there would be a Wikipedia entry about you?)

*prepare for sappy answer*

As I had to write paper after paper reflecting about why the heck I was interested in going into Elementary Education, I eventually came to the conclusion that it's probably a pretty good way to make a positive impact on the world.

If you think back to your childhood, there are probably one or two teachers that really stood out to you and inspired your interest in something or sent you down a better path in life. If you could become one of those teachers who consistently makes a positive impact in the lives of many students year after year, you'd potentially be sending out wave after wave of people that are slightly more likely to do better things with their lives. Maybe one of them will make that world changing event.

**the image goes blury... we are now transported 30 years into the future**

***The world is now ruled by despotic ruler and tyrant New Hitler***

***
Reporter: So your majesty what made you want to take over the world?

New Hitler: You know now that I think about it I never was much of a doer as a young child. I mostly drifted through life letting thing happen to me. Nothing inspired me, nothing really interested me. Then in Grade 12 I had a moment of pure inspiration thanks to a wonderful teacher. That man is the reason I am the person you see before you today. He taught me that I could be anything that I wanted to be. That I could choose my own destiny, that I DID have it in me to do the things I always dreamed of. That man is Mr YOyoYOhowsDAjello. Hay wherever you are out there thanks from the bottom of my heart man!!
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
45
91
**the image goes blury... we are now transported 30 years into the future**

***The world is now ruled by despotic ruler and tyrant New Hitler***

***
Reporter: So your majesty what made you want to take over the world?

New Hitler: You know now that I think about it I never was much of a doer as a young child. I mostly drifted through life letting thing happen to me. Nothing inspired me, nothing really interested me. Then in Grade 12 I had a moment of pure inspiration thanks to a wonderful teacher. That man is the reason I am the person you see before you today. He taught me that I could be anything that I wanted to be. That I could choose my own destiny, that I DID have it in me to do the things I always dreamed of. That man is Mr YOyoYOhowsDAjello. Hay wherever you are out there thanks from the bottom of my heart man!!

Don't worry, I'm only certified 1-8 and I failed to impress in interviews, so I'm in Education Research now :p
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
there have been world changing discoveries/inventions in all of those fields so I'm gonna say "any".

personally I'm a fan of physics. it's fundamental enough to give you insights into almost everything, but still keeps you in this reality unlike mathematics ;) biology's also kind of interesting because it impacts us directly and we are finally gaining the tools necessary (thanks to advances in other fields) to do some amazing things.
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
5,755
23
81
If you think back to your childhood, there are probably one or two teachers that really stood out to you and inspired your interest in something or sent you down a better path in life. If you could become one of those teachers who consistently makes a positive impact in the lives of many students year after year, you'd potentially be sending out wave after wave of people that are slightly more likely to do better things with their lives. Maybe one of them will make that world changing event.

What there are teachers that do that? I had a teacher my last year in high school that was betting I would drop or fail out after my first year... Though I also had one that mentioned if I had actually gave a damn and studied I could have went to Harvard.
 

YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Moderator<br>A/V & Home Theater<br>Elite member
Aug 6, 2001
31,205
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What there are teachers that do that? I had a teacher my last year in high school that was betting I would drop or fail out after my first year... Though I also had one that mentioned if I had actually gave a damn and studied I could have went to Harvard.

I know this is a little off the point but..

You know the least helpful person I ever met?

My High school guidance counselor. She was a horrible woman.

Hey, just because you have the chance to influence the lives of young people doesn't mean you're going to be good at it :p

I had a few teachers that I didn't like, but it was mostly in college for me.