HACKER Q&A
📣 lifeisstillgood

Minimal Syllabus for Intellectual Citizenship


We like the idea of an informed voter. But informed about what. If someone has no idea about the half life of plutonium or U238, are they informed about nuclear power? What’s the minimum a modern citizen should know about mathematics? Is calculus too much? What about economics - is a wealth tax necessary?

We cannot all be experts, but what is necessary to know ?


  👤 gus_massa Accepted Answer ✓
I have a Ph.D. in Math, and I have no idea about the half life of U238. [Without cheating: There are two main isotopes. One has a ver long half life but it's difficult for fision. The other has a shorted life and you must concentrate it to make nuclear plants and concentrate even more to build nuclear bombs. Is this correct? Am I now in a list of a 3 letter agency?]

In Economy there are a few very contradictory opinions. Forcing a correct answer would be equivalent to baning comunits or anti-comunist or some other group that has the incorrect opinion (where the correct opinion is probaly your opinion).


👤 warrenm
"What's the minimum a modern citizen should know about ..."

No much

In fact, I would say the list of "today" is pretty similar to the list of a decade ago, a quarter century ago, half a century ago, and a century ago

Most people do not need to know much if anything about most things

Basic financial literacy

Where food comes from

How to make a handful of meals more-or-less 'from scratch' (or...at least without too many pre-kitted items)

The roles of the branches and levels of government in your country

How to spot statistically-likely (and -unlikely) data both online and in print

And the basics of keeping your devices up-to-date

Anything else you can look up if/when you have the interest