Are you going to change the world? (Really?)

I mis-read this in an interesting way: some startup ventures may seem like "not a big deal", but if they save 1% of the US population 1 minute of time every month, that's almost 70 person-years per year.

I can't imagine how much time GMail has saved for me that I would have spent setting up mail clients. Ditto for reddit, or news.YC - there is no way I could have found out and kept track of so much information out there in the blog/entrepreneur community while being a full-time student, doing research, and working two part-time jobs.

This is not to say we shouldn't donate more of our time and money to giving to those in real need, of course, just that sometimes we give to society indirectly, or even without realizing it.

Charity doesn't work. "Human dignity is more important than wealth" (1). What we need is working economic systems, not handouts.

Have you looked at Acumen Fund? It's the organization Google.org works to spur economic development in places that need it.

http://google.org/development.html

Take a look at this presentation by Jacqueline Novogratz, the founder of Acumen:

1. http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/157

I don't know of a place money can do more good.

But, there is nothing wrong with money and there is nothing wrong with power. It is natural to want and to pursue them. Both increase your reproductive value. If there is one concrete meaning of life, that is it.

We are all, to varying degrees, concerned with the people around us. This is natural. Our concern for others decreases as their connection to us decreases. For example, I am more concerned about the welfare of my family, than the welfare of an arbitrary family in the Sudan. This is natural as well. But, I am nonetheless highly motivated to help the suffering no matter how far removed. It looks like you are too Shooter. I'd gamble most of the people here feel the same.

You are dead right. The people in this community are probably some of the best suited to solve a lot of the world's problems. Most of us are highly technically proficient and many of us, most importantly, have the good fortune of being born with an aptitude for innovation. Being "smart" isn't nearly enough to be a successful founder or to solve these important problems. Doctors are smart. Lawyers are smart. But most people -- most smart people included -- don't seems have the aptitude to have a lot of new thoughts. It looks like you do. I looks like a lot of people her do.

So, go find problems and solve them. You need to, because no one else can.

I am studying Chemical Engineering and Applied Artificial Intelligence. I hope to study Pharmacology after my undergraduate work. Like everyone, I want to save the world. So, I'm going to see what I can do.

But along the way if I build a nifty web application and make a comfortable living, I would not complain.

Now (in addition to my shamelessly selfish startup), I am working on several projects that I think can do a lot of good. If any of you want to help, please contact me (http://mailhide.recaptcha.net/d?k=01SIklk3SJAk4XQZrRCmiJTw==... ).

I joined the Engineers Without Borders group at my school. I was pretty excited. I thought we were going to save the world. But, I found the group was full of completely helpless people who have, after 2 years, yet to engineer anything. So, I found a project and recruited a team from outside the organization. We set out to design a composting toilet that could work in cold climates. It was pretty frustrating, because no matter how perfect the design was it would require expensive foreign components (like solar panels or small wind turbines) and the solution only prevents the spread of disease when implemented on a large scale. Eventually, I developed an alternative that can be built entirely from local materials. We are finishing the design and hope to built a prototype this December in Peru. This design looks promising and if implemented on a large scale will reduce the spread of waste borne disease like cholera and dysentery. These diseases primarily kill children, long before they have to worry about cancer or aids. (If any of you decimillionaires are interested, contributions to our composting team through EWB are tax deductible and you can read more about the project at http://pewb.wetpaint.com/page/Cold+Composting.)

[[edit: I know it looks so simple that it can't possibly be smart. But, No one is doing anything like this. No one has done anything like this. And the world needs it. ]]

We are also developing an inexpensive, distributed sensor network for electrical grids in developing countries that will help reduce theft and downtime. This is nearly complete.

We are also developing an inexpensive watch that will make the distribution of complicated AIDS medication to developing, illiterate communities more practical. We are making good progress.

Find a problem and fix it. God knows you can.