From: Giu1i0 Pri5c0 (gpmap@runbox.com)
Date: Sun Jul 27 2003 - 03:16:13 MDT
As already pointed out by Emlyn, pure mathematics is a terribly important
thing, and an enabler for most of the technologies which directly impact the
world. And if it is what you like to do, it is what you should do. Teaching
is also a terribly important thing as you get the chance to promote a
rational worldview among younger generations.
Don't assume, though, that if you study and start working in pure
mathematics, then you will do that for all your career. I studied
theoretical and computational physics, and now among my college buddies
there are material scientists, managers in the public and private sector,
investment bankers, politicians, writers, ... I do not think any of us works
in academy as a theoretical physicist!
I think pure maths gives you a good background and skills at hard thinking,
then things can develop in many many ways and no door is really closed until
you are 30 or 35. Luck has its influence as well: being at the right place
talking with the right person at the right moment.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James" <james@lab6.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2003 1:25 AM
Subject: Extropian career? (was: How Extropians Live Their Lives)
> On Sat, Jul 19, 2003 at 12:22:29PM +0200, Giu1i0 Pri5c0 wrote:
> > If I were 20 again I would probably be dreaming of making someday a
very,
> > very direct contribution to the development of ultratechnologies to take
us
> > much closer to posthumanity. Something like leading the development of
the
> > first conscious AI, or leading the development of a super ultra MRI at 1
> > nanometer resolution that permits uploading consciousness.
> > At a certain point most of us realize that they will never have the
skill,
> > or the time, or simply that they will never be at the right place at the
> > right moment to play this kind of role. At the same time we can all do
> > things to facilitate the task of those few lucky persons who are or will
be
> > in such a position.
>
> As it happens, I am 20 right now, and have been following this list for
> a few years, and into the ultratechnology thing for somewhat longer. I
> am not a big-E Extropian, but I very much admire the pursuit of extropy.
> This list and all the peripheral transhumanist literature have been a
> big influence in choosing a career, and as someone (Damien B, I believe)
> suggested in the what-can-I-do thread, I'm going to be a mathematics
> teacher.
>
> I would be proud to work in materials science or molecular biology, or
> any other field with direct high-tech applications, but maths is what I
> like and it's what I'm best at. Pure mathematics research is as much as
> I'm capable of in the short term future, and I don't see it contributing
> much to anything besides a few intellectual bragging rights. Aside from
> the fact that I would very much enjoy teaching, the best contribution I
> can hope to make to the extropian "cause" (if you'll excuse the cult
> language) is education: an educated mind possesses more extropy than an
> uneducated one. Besides the innumerable benefits of having more smart
> people around, there's a chance that a few of the thousands of
> impressionable young minds I'll be in contact with will go on to become
> the superstar researcher that I'm not willing or able to be.
>
> --
> James james@lab6.com
> http://james.lab6.com
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sun Jul 27 2003 - 03:27:55 MDT