We’ve got a brainstorming google doc for internal use, which will eventually be graduated to an “open projects” page. A few possibilities include:
1) Read through existing literature on potential high impact causes (ideally multiple sources with conflicting theses) and summarize it. Compile the info into a document that makes it easy to figure out what causes and solutions are worth examining in greater detail. (Coordinate with of THINK folk to avoid duplicate efforts, unless you deliberately want to get multiple views on a particular paper or book)
2) If you’re a student group, convince a local school-based charity (i.e. some frat houses, other philanthropy student groups) to shift their priorities to higher impact causes
3) Campaign for your state to become “opt-out” rather than “opt-in” for organ donation.
4) Campaign to get academic journals to require preregistration of studies to combat publication bias.
Because THINK is primarily a network of young people, it might be worth getting into the math of financial planning. I’m a high school senior, and would very much like to make the most difference I can, but I’m a little lost on basic things like income and banks and taxes which people somehow pick up as they get older. General financial advice is too vague and doesn’t focus on reducing suffering.
I, personally, would like to know things like “Which careers would optimize for the most lifetime impact, taking into account entry costs, income, probability of losing your job, opportunities to network, etc?” A medical degree costs a whole lot of time and money now, and could get you into debt—would the higher income lead to enough lives saved that it would be worth it? Would the higher probability of burnout and quitting make it not-worth-it again? Graphs of lifetime earnings, lifetime donations if you committed to donating a certain percentage of your income, projected job security, etc would be hugely helpful for me.
Edit: For example, I currently don’t know how to program (beyond the absolute basics). Would learning how and doing my best to become a really great programmer be the best course of action for me in terms of the good I could do, even if it would take a decade or so to get any good? Or am I overvaluing programming because basically everyone here is a programmer?
Cute footnote. Are there any example project ideas being kicked around that you could describe?
We’ve got a brainstorming google doc for internal use, which will eventually be graduated to an “open projects” page. A few possibilities include:
1) Read through existing literature on potential high impact causes (ideally multiple sources with conflicting theses) and summarize it. Compile the info into a document that makes it easy to figure out what causes and solutions are worth examining in greater detail. (Coordinate with of THINK folk to avoid duplicate efforts, unless you deliberately want to get multiple views on a particular paper or book)
2) If you’re a student group, convince a local school-based charity (i.e. some frat houses, other philanthropy student groups) to shift their priorities to higher impact causes
3) Campaign for your state to become “opt-out” rather than “opt-in” for organ donation.
4) Campaign to get academic journals to require preregistration of studies to combat publication bias.
Because THINK is primarily a network of young people, it might be worth getting into the math of financial planning. I’m a high school senior, and would very much like to make the most difference I can, but I’m a little lost on basic things like income and banks and taxes which people somehow pick up as they get older. General financial advice is too vague and doesn’t focus on reducing suffering.
I, personally, would like to know things like “Which careers would optimize for the most lifetime impact, taking into account entry costs, income, probability of losing your job, opportunities to network, etc?” A medical degree costs a whole lot of time and money now, and could get you into debt—would the higher income lead to enough lives saved that it would be worth it? Would the higher probability of burnout and quitting make it not-worth-it again? Graphs of lifetime earnings, lifetime donations if you committed to donating a certain percentage of your income, projected job security, etc would be hugely helpful for me.
Edit: For example, I currently don’t know how to program (beyond the absolute basics). Would learning how and doing my best to become a really great programmer be the best course of action for me in terms of the good I could do, even if it would take a decade or so to get any good? Or am I overvaluing programming because basically everyone here is a programmer?