Sure, once in a while you feel good about helping a patient, but really, if you weren't working that day, somebody else would have done the same thing.
Unfortunately this applies to most new math results as well (perhaps not on the same day, but eventually).
This is true, but I think a key difference is the time aspect. I am not really a causal inference researcher, I am more of a dragon slayer. The particular dragon I am engaging in battle is called cargo cult science . When fighting dragons, time is always essential; history will ask us how we allowed this dragon to terrorize us for so long. ( There are obviously more fiercesome creatures out there, but I don't really have any insight on how to defeat them, so starting with cargo cult science could at least be useful as target practice )
With this particula...
A high school student with an interest in math asks whether he's obligated on utilitarian grounds to become a doctor.
The commenters pretty much say that he isn't, but now I'm wondering-- if you go into reasonably pure math, what areas or specific problems would be most likely to contribute the most towards saving lives?