People that have helped make the world better.
Discussion
In contrast to the "People you'd never get tired of punching in the face..." thread I was thinking about how many people alive today have actually made the world a better place to be.
The first few that spring to mind are:
-Bill, and Melinda, Gates (okay Windows 8 aside), however he seems to genuinely want to make his wealth benefit the less fortunate and has saved millions of lives through his charity work. He stays out of politics too which is somewhat refreshing.
-Lord Robert Winston is another that springs to mind with his pioneering work in IVF
-Sir David Attenborough for bringing the wonders on struggles of our planet to the minds of millions.
Who else do you think that when they die they would have made the most contribution (not necessarily financially) to our planets wellbeing.
The first few that spring to mind are:
-Bill, and Melinda, Gates (okay Windows 8 aside), however he seems to genuinely want to make his wealth benefit the less fortunate and has saved millions of lives through his charity work. He stays out of politics too which is somewhat refreshing.
-Lord Robert Winston is another that springs to mind with his pioneering work in IVF
-Sir David Attenborough for bringing the wonders on struggles of our planet to the minds of millions.
Who else do you think that when they die they would have made the most contribution (not necessarily financially) to our planets wellbeing.
Are we talking about individuals / a small number of individuals who have a disproportionately large positive influence on society, or can we include the unknown and unnamed who make a positive difference every day?
If the latter, anyone who puts themselves in harms way to get others out of it; RNLI, SAR teams, MSF etc
If the former, Neil deGrasse Tyson always comes across as a force for good
If the latter, anyone who puts themselves in harms way to get others out of it; RNLI, SAR teams, MSF etc
If the former, Neil deGrasse Tyson always comes across as a force for good
ApOrbital said:
Neil chambers.
deadtom said:
Are we talking about individuals / a small number of individuals who have a disproportionately large positive influence on society, or can we include the unknown and unnamed who make a positive difference every day?
I was thinking of the former, someone publicly known however fully agree that our emergency services/doctors are amazing.There are plenty I can think of who have changed the world massively, but genuinely made it 'better' (and better for whom?). That is a tough one. And still alive today?
Few politicians leave the world better than when they started, artists and celebrities may bring happiness to many, but are they really making the world better? Scientists allow us to do more, and live longer, but again is any of that really better? There are spiritual leaders who inspire some but incite others.
I think that one major event really united the world in a way no other could before or has done since. It inspired generations and came at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval. Sadly the public face of that great achievement has since passed but there are many of the thousands involved who are still alive, and arguably they played just as important a role at the time.
The moon landings made the world a better place. For those brief moments we were a planet united, inspired to believe that anything was possible. So I nominate the men and women of NASA and their various subcontractors during the Apollo program, culminating in those first steps on our journey to becoming an interplanetary and maybe one day intergalactic species.
Them or Ben Stokes.
Few politicians leave the world better than when they started, artists and celebrities may bring happiness to many, but are they really making the world better? Scientists allow us to do more, and live longer, but again is any of that really better? There are spiritual leaders who inspire some but incite others.
I think that one major event really united the world in a way no other could before or has done since. It inspired generations and came at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval. Sadly the public face of that great achievement has since passed but there are many of the thousands involved who are still alive, and arguably they played just as important a role at the time.
The moon landings made the world a better place. For those brief moments we were a planet united, inspired to believe that anything was possible. So I nominate the men and women of NASA and their various subcontractors during the Apollo program, culminating in those first steps on our journey to becoming an interplanetary and maybe one day intergalactic species.
Them or Ben Stokes.
<grumble grumble>
Weird one. Tim Berners Lee, for example is indirectly responsible for the anxiety caused by social media in the world's youngsters, healthcare breakthroughs cause untold suffering in countries where populations are artificially high on land that simply can't support them.
Everything has unseen consequences of some sort or another.
Every time I think of someone, there's always a downside.
Everything has unseen consequences of some sort or another.
Every time I think of someone, there's always a downside.
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