I am an Indonesian undergraduate student in a decent private university in the USA; I am double majoring in environmental science (conservation biology concentration hopefully) and earth science. At first I study environmental and earth science because I just love the subject, especially on paleoclimate reconstruction and providing scientific facts about climate change. I also have a second interest in evolutionary and thus conservation biology (thanks to Jared Diamond and Dawkins). As my knowledge grows however, sometimes it breaks my heart to see the utter backwardness of science education in my home country (for example they thought it was a good idea to cut down a tropical forest, releasing all the CO2 from the peat bogs, and then plant palm oil trees and sell it as green energy source). For a country with 4th largest population in the world, zero Nobel prize is quite unacceptable. And for some reason, all wealthy people from my country who can afford western education decide to study business and finance instead of science (we have a quite small Indonesian community here in the US and as far as I know like 90% of them study business/finance and a fraction of people study engineering). Finally, just now my friend from Indonesia told me that the head of Biology department in Pelita Harapan University (that's like #1 private university although in Indonesia public university is considered better than privates) doesn't even believe in evolution. I really want to help change something in my home country but I don't think a single person like me can change an entire country (world most populous muslim country with equally insane christians). Sometimes I feel that it is a lost cause and I can just say %26quot;screw my home country%26quot; and go to antarctica drilling ice core (in Fall'11 hopefully I'll be going there as research assistant) or just do more mainstream scientific work here in the US.
Is is worth it to spend your scientific career helping scientific education in a third world country?
My honest opinion:
Third World countries, with their stupidity, lack of education and huge populations will , in the end, destroy this planet.
And truthfully, most of those who are educated and out of those countries, such as yourself see no reason to return. You have one life, of about 80 years, and you are fighting an uphill battle of ignorance, politics greed and religion.
Do yourself a favor, first of all. Go to the library in your area and watch a movie made in the 60's called Soylent Green. On DVD about anywhere.
You will see a future crowded, filthy planet, where the masses of people are uneducated.... too many rats in the cage, so to speak. And reflections of a time when this planet was beautiful in the scene with Edward G. Robinson, and he decides to die.
Religions are the absolute bane of humanity. And they are all crazy. There are too few people like Diamond, Dawkins, Carl Sagan, and others who have a message.... that this is the only home of the humanity of the universe. And unless we save this home,---we. all of us together, as a community of humanity ----- we are all doomed. We cannot do that. Because of religion, politics and greed...... And I truly believe that this planet has less than 300 years.
All that has to happen is one nut job in the Middle East lob an atomic weapon at another Middle Eastern crazy country, and truthfully? It is over. And if the US ever elects a true crazy like McCain or Palin, it may be over even sooner.
This planet faces the destruction of its environment because of mismanagement of its resources (such as you have mentionedin Indonesia. ... It is going on all over everywhere.
Hopeless.
In your place, I'd do no harm to this planet, and for sure do what you can to help those of us who care about future generations, but to waste your life tossing yourself in the this fray? Nuts.
Even Dawkins, Sagan, and Diamond have done little. And they are hugely well known.
Don't bother.
Enjoy learning what you wish to learn, be the best person you can be, but understand, that religion, politicians and greed will win out............ over us all.
Watch this video... only 4 minutes and beautiful, I promise.
youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ6ficvJODQ
There is as well, others in this general area. Check symphonyofscience.come for things similar.
Is is worth it to spend your scientific career helping scientific education in a third world country?
Your conviction can do wonders.
It is much better to serve in ones own country rather than try to find a pebble in the ocean of scientists and serve in a place already affluent and glutted with scientists. Your small contribution will be appreciated in your own country. You may face hardship, and your colleagues may discourage you, but you will have an innate satisfaction of having worked in your motherland, where you grew up and where your forefathers lived and died. In today's world with INTERNET and all that you can communicate with others any way and you can carve out your name by working in your country.
do you morally convince your self that you are doing teh right things
ask yourself within your heart and ask your self is it worth me to spend time teaching people in third world country
i think that it is not worth it because i can't fit to the third world country, i just can't
