# How Can We Plausibly Best Improve Humanity **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 4, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297 "2011-01-04T02:16:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/1 "2011-01-04T02:16:03Z")
In the next few years what are some things that can plausibly be done to improve humanity’s general lot and prosperity? This includes both immediate actions and long-term policies. My Ideas: Encourage globalization in general especially to encourage democratic government and economic development of poor areas. This includes more free-trade pacts, encouraging investments by corporations, and intervening diplomatically and militarily to prevent the worst human rights violations. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/2 "2011-01-04T02:51:14Z")
That’s nice. I’d like to add “curing disease” and “making everyone be nice to each other” to the list. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/3 "2011-01-04T02:58:54Z")
I’ll settle for clean water and sanitary sewer systems for the many locations that don’t have them. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/4 "2011-01-04T03:23:30Z")
Discouraging religion would do wonders (no pun (or whatever) intended). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/5 "2011-01-04T03:39:49Z")
Some improvements could be made in the basic design . . . For instance, babies should be self-cleaning and equipped with a mute button. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/6 "2011-01-04T03:42:10Z")
Universal healthcare. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/7 "2011-01-04T03:44:07Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Encourage globalization in general especially to encourage democratic government and economic development of poor areas. This includes more free-trade pacts, encouraging investments by corporations, and intervening diplomatically and militarily to prevent the worst human rights violations. Sounds perfectly reasonable and noncontroversial and unobjectionable, right up the point where you have to provide a subject for the verbs. Then certain problems appear. I agree the cat **should** be belled. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/8 "2011-01-04T03:44:18Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Discouraging religion would do wonders (no pun (or whatever) intended). See, we agree sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/9 "2011-01-04T03:45:09Z")
A highly-contagious disease that kills off 99% of the human race. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/10 "2011-01-04T03:46:41Z")
Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others. ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/11 "2011-01-04T05:26:03Z")
The Vatican drops opposition to the use of birth control by church members, whether they are married or single. ---
**Author:** ![Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/12 "2011-01-04T07:14:08Z")
Or, more practically, a serious effort in your local jurisdiction to improve the quality of public education, particularly for the most disadvantaged children. All it takes is will and a small tax increase and your society will be materially better, from about the 15 year point. The benefits would cascade globally. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/13 "2011-01-04T07:20:54Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > In the next few years what are some things that can plausibly be done to improve humanity’s general lot and prosperity? This includes both immediate actions and long-term policies. > > My Ideas: > > Encourage globalization in general especially to encourage democratic government and economic development of poor areas. This includes more free-trade pacts, encouraging investments by corporations, and intervening diplomatically and militarily to prevent the worst human rights violations. Let’s talk immediate actions-what do you _personally_ plan to do in the next few years to improve humanity’s lot? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/14 "2011-01-04T07:40:21Z")
Weakening religion and promoting human rights comes to mind. > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > A highly-contagious disease that kills off 99% of the human race. > > Seriously. You can’t improve humanity by killing off almost all of it and condemning the survivors to a life of despair and misery. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/15 "2011-01-04T11:53:49Z")
Starting a Manhattan project to eliminate Malaria, ---
**Author:** ![ecco477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@ecco477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecco477)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/16 "2011-01-04T12:09:18Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > That’s nice. I’d like to add “curing disease” and “making everyone be nice to each other” to the list. If scientists and doctors would stop screwing around with pharmaceuticals, and invent quantum neuro technology, we could see the defective neural pathways in the brain and fix them–thereby curing much of the neurological disease and mental illness making it impossible for people to truly be “selfless.” As opposed to running around pumping drugs into everyone hoping that dousing all the neurons and synapses will fix people. There are too many contaminants and chemicals in our food and water, toxins in our air/land/environment(s), and too much self-medicating with street drugs-- for anyone to really solve the problems of mental illness/anxiety/depression/etc–the “issues” that STOP people from having solid moral codes. Something more radical needs to be done. Wanting world peace is a nice concept, but not enough–duh. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/17 "2011-01-04T12:12:55Z")
Resurrect and clone Norman Borlaug. Dismantle religious institutions. Protect human rights around the globe, “culture” be damned. But since none of those things are plausible I’ll have to settle for putting all the weaboos into [del]Death[/del] Happy Camps. It’ll free up food and electricity as well as reduce misery throughout the world. ---
**Author:** ![ecco477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@ecco477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecco477)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/18 "2011-01-04T12:38:22Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > \*\*Resurrect and clone Norman Borlaug.😉 > Dismantle religious institutions.:eek: > Protect human rights around the globe, “culture” be damned.😃 > > But since none of those things are plausible I’ll have to settle for putting all the weaboos into [del]Death[/del] Happy:dubious: Camps. It’ll free up food and electricity as well as reduce misery throughout the world.\*\* Call me what you will, but what’s a weaboo? ---
**Author:** ![ecco477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b2d939/32.png) [@ecco477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecco477)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/19 "2011-01-04T12:47:19Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > In the next few years what are some things that can plausibly be done to improve humanity’s general lot and prosperity? I asked my autistic son the above question just to see how his brain would solve the problem. I knew I’d regret asking. His answer…“kiss their ass”–A male autistics abrupt perspective on how to get people to be nice. His observations…if people aren’t getting their asses kissed all the time, they aren’t nice. **Weaboo:** A negative term directed to anyone overly obsessed with Japanese culture to the point where they become annoying–now that’s funny ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297/20 "2011-01-04T15:32:51Z")
> [@ecco477](#): > > If scientists and doctors would stop screwing around with pharmaceuticals, and invent quantum neuro technology, we could see the defective neural pathways in the brain and fix them–thereby curing much of the neurological disease and mental illness making it impossible for people to truly be “selfless.” As opposed to running around pumping drugs into everyone hoping that dousing all the neurons and synapses will fix people. And maybe we could cure them by enhancing the transporter’s Heisenberg compensator with a phased nexion beam! :rolleyes: “Quantum neuro technology” is technobabble; it isn’t even defined, much less something likely to be developed. We use drugs because they are real, and because drugs _actually work_ on occasion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-we-plausibly-best-improve-humanity/566297.md?page=2)