Jack—I think EA needs a lot more people trained in biology, for the reasons you mentioned.
I see a fair number of factual and theoretical errors being made when EA discussions of essentially biological topics (e.g. animal sentience, transhumanism, biotech) are dominated by computer scientists plus moral philosophers, without enough input from bio experts.
At the individual level, a CS degree might be worth more with regard to expected career income. But at the collective level, EA needs a broader range of expertise, especially in really foundational sciences like evolutionary biology, animal behavior, genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary game theory, etc.
Plus, biology is just endlessly fascinating, rewarding, and grounding—fun to learn about, fun to share with partners and kids, and awe-inspiring with regard to appreciating the antiquity, diversity, and complexity of life.
Jack—I think EA needs a lot more people trained in biology, for the reasons you mentioned.
I see a fair number of factual and theoretical errors being made when EA discussions of essentially biological topics (e.g. animal sentience, transhumanism, biotech) are dominated by computer scientists plus moral philosophers, without enough input from bio experts.
At the individual level, a CS degree might be worth more with regard to expected career income. But at the collective level, EA needs a broader range of expertise, especially in really foundational sciences like evolutionary biology, animal behavior, genetics, neuroscience, evolutionary game theory, etc.
Plus, biology is just endlessly fascinating, rewarding, and grounding—fun to learn about, fun to share with partners and kids, and awe-inspiring with regard to appreciating the antiquity, diversity, and complexity of life.