# What subject would you choose to become the world's greatest expert in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944 "2008-08-22T17:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/1 "2008-08-22T17:45:34Z")
Suppose that, through whatever contrivances you care to posit, you were given the opportunity to become the world’s greatest expert in. Now, I **don’t** mean that you can magically and instantaneously learn everything anyone could possibly know on this topic, but rather you have the financial and chronological leisure to immerse yourself in the topic with as much depth and intensity as you choose. In other words, if you choose physics, you won’t suddenly know how to resolve the theories of quantum mechanics and general relativity; but you will have unlimited and unfettered access to the best research and researchers on the topic. What subject would you choose? By the way, anyone who writes “not ending sentences with prepositions” will find him- or herself being eaten alive by genetically engineered winged, flame-spewing, etc howler monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/2 "2008-08-22T18:17:34Z")
Considering your last sentence, I’d probably go for “genetically engineered winged, flame-spewing, etc howler monkeys” 🙂 Or in a more serious note. It would be really cool to be the world’s greatest expert on Ancient Rome. Not that I’ll ever get even remotely close… ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/3 "2008-08-22T18:20:05Z")
I suppose masturbation is already taken. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/4 "2008-08-22T18:21:31Z")
The Female Orgasm. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/5 "2008-08-22T18:37:40Z")
How economic factors have influenced artistic development from about 1880-present, with a particular emphasis on music history. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/6 "2008-08-22T18:43:25Z")
Explosives and energetic materials. I’m on the right path. Testing is the fun part! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/7 "2008-08-22T18:45:44Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] I suppose masturbation is already taken. Regards, Shodan [/QUOTE] Yep, that one’s mine. I’d offer you an assistantship, but I don’t need a hand. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/8 "2008-08-22T18:46:02Z")
[QUOTE=WormTheRed] Considering your last sentence, I’d probably go for “genetically engineered winged, flame-spewing, etc howler monkeys” 🙂 [/quote] Seems unwise. I happen to know that the guy you’d be studying under would feed you to the monkeys because (a) it served his evil plans, or (b) it didn’t serve any of his current plans but you said something offhand that was an insult to Natalie Portman, or (c) neither (a) nor (b) was true but he hadn’t done anything evil all week and thus he had an evil villainy quota to fill, or (d) simply for the yuks. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/9 "2008-08-22T18:46:07Z")
[QUOTE=Santo Rugger] Explosives and energetic materials. I’m on the right path. Testing is the fun part! [/QUOTE] I bet not as fun as my subject. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/10 "2008-08-22T18:47:14Z")
Thundercats. Batman. _sigh_ Damn I’m a geek. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/11 "2008-08-22T19:35:57Z")
World War 2 history, with a focus on the Pacific naval Campaign. (Spruance\>Halsey, btw). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/12 "2008-08-22T19:58:21Z")
Cunnilingus. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/13 "2008-08-22T20:02:47Z")
Every martial art known to man, and then I would go on a ‘hoody’-ridding vigilante spree that would make Charlie B’s character in “Death Wish” look like Ned Flanders on Valium. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/14 "2008-08-22T20:09:15Z")
Television history. It’d be cool to have a library of all television shows and scripts, ever. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/15 "2008-08-22T20:18:27Z")
[QUOTE=ivan astikov] Every martial art known to man, and then I would go on a ‘hoody’-ridding vigilante spree that would make Charlie B’s character in “Death Wish” look like Ned Flanders on Valium. [/QUOTE] Chuck Norris would still round-kick you to the moon and back 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/16 "2008-08-22T20:19:59Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] Seems unwise. I happen to know that the guy you’d be studying under would feed you to the monkeys because (a) it served his evil plans, or (b) it didn’t serve any of his current plans but you said something offhand that was an insult to Natalie Portman, or (c) neither (a) nor (b) was true but he hadn’t done anything evil all week and thus he had an evil villainy quota to fill, or (d) simply for the yuks. [/QUOTE] Crap… I guess I’ll go for Rome then. _And I would never say something that might be considered an insult to Natalie Portman_ ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/17 "2008-08-22T20:23:13Z")
Wow lots of people in the porn industry here. For the OP - Geophysiology and mechanical climate change. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/18 "2008-08-22T20:24:28Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl] Thundercats. Batman. _sigh_ Damn I’m a geek. [/QUOTE] You know, I KNEW you were going to say both of those. You’re not secretly Kim, are you? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/19 "2008-08-22T20:27:19Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] You know, I KNEW you were going to say both of those. You’re not secretly Kim, are you? 🙂 [/QUOTE] Nope. I’m secretly me. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944/20 "2008-08-22T20:30:24Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl] Nope. I’m secretly me. [/QUOTE] S’okay, I already verified your Kim’s non-youness. I asked her if she liked Thundercats, and she said “Who?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-subject-would-you-choose-to-become-the-worlds-greatest-expert-in/460944.md?page=2)