What Educational Path Lets You Change The World?

[TruePaige]

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?

 

[YoungGun21]

Art.

Scratch that.

Art History.

 

[Sumguy]

Pretty much anything.

 

[Leros]

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]

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]

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]

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.

 

[JS80]

Pretty much anything.

Yea, I think the question is, what educational path doesn't change the world.

 

[TruePaige]

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.

 

[thepd7]

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.

This

 

[SampSon]

Social engineering, everything else is just a tool for those who have vast social networks.

 

[KeypoX]

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]

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]

 

[TruePaige]

Damn it, I love that site. I love that comic too for some reason.

 

[Locut0s]

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]

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]

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]

**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

 

[dighn]

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.

 

[RESmonkey]

All of them.

Quote boat this post if you agree!

 

[Matthiasa]

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.

 

[TruePaige]

snip

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.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

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

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

 

[SSSnail]

Religion.