Thanks for the question! I agree with what Tom Rowlands wrote in his response, and just want to add a couple things. The world is full of neglected problems that cause a lot of harm, and people working in the information economy don’t have a monopoly on identifying or solving them. For example, your question reminded me of Jesse Smith’s article in Asterisk Magazine about HVAC, indoor air quality, and pandemic prevention. Jesse is an HVAC technician that has been following the EA community and its ideas for years, and I think he thoughtfully applied the framework to his area of expertise. I’d imagine that firsthand arguments like this could help policymakers improve indoor air quality, such as Alex Bores’ bill in New York State.
So applying rare and valuable skills to a pressing problem can take many forms. I’m not sure what your version of this is, but I bet there is something. We’re lucky that for all its flaws, the internet helps us “work in public” to make our skills legible and apply them to real problems.
Thanks for the question! I agree with what Tom Rowlands wrote in his response, and just want to add a couple things. The world is full of neglected problems that cause a lot of harm, and people working in the information economy don’t have a monopoly on identifying or solving them. For example, your question reminded me of Jesse Smith’s article in Asterisk Magazine about HVAC, indoor air quality, and pandemic prevention. Jesse is an HVAC technician that has been following the EA community and its ideas for years, and I think he thoughtfully applied the framework to his area of expertise. I’d imagine that firsthand arguments like this could help policymakers improve indoor air quality, such as Alex Bores’ bill in New York State.
So applying rare and valuable skills to a pressing problem can take many forms. I’m not sure what your version of this is, but I bet there is something. We’re lucky that for all its flaws, the internet helps us “work in public” to make our skills legible and apply them to real problems.