More answers

[tylik]

"What are you going to do to save the world?"

I will nobly sacrifice myself to stop my evil research collaborator from taking over the world with his genetically enginee-- oh, wait, I'd probably be helping him. (Unless maybe I was pissed off because they were a unauthorized modification on my design? Mm, yeah, that would do it.)

For a semi-serious answer, while I have long since mostly given up on trying to save individuals, and therefore the thought of saving a whole world seems a little farcical, there are a few roles I'd be happy to see myself in, and to some degree am seeking. There's the general researcher / worker on various interesting and worthwhile problems bit. From what I can tell there is absolutely no shortage of interesting and useful problems to work on -- I think I've talked to you about some of my interests in genetic diseases (such as muscular dystrophy). I'm increasingly fascinated by metabolic disorders. There's a lot of more pure researchy stuff in there as well, but then one of my very few religious principles is that seeking to better understand the universe is inherently good.

Then there's more of the educator role -- teaching martial arts, especially the posture, balance and health aspects of such, have been incredibly rewarding. (As has pretty much any other kind of teaching I've been engaged in, actually, whether working as a clinical skills instructor, or working with the gifted kids with unmedicated ADD.) I like being in a position to hand people tools so that they can do cool things with them. And then they save the world. Or at least their spines. There's a lot of overlap between these first two.

Another role I can see myself in -- though I hope not for at least twenty years -- is being in some kind of policy creation / advisory role. I'd like to think that by that time I'll have a solid background in biomedical sciences, and will still hopefully have kept up with politics. (And hey, maybe even the Chinese will be useful, if I still remember any.)

Of course all of this assumes I manage to put together a solid skill set and escape my general destiny of being a jack ass of all trades.

"What is your favorite apocalypse scenario (avian flu? comet?) and what preparation have you made for surviving it?"

I don't think I have a favorite. Nor do I spend much time -- even idle moments on the bus, really -- thinking about apocalyptic scenarios per se. (I have spent a fair bit of time thinking about influenza, whether avian or otherwise, but pandemic != apocalypse.) Most catastrophes are more likely to not quite manage the collapse of civilization... certainly the ones that I'm likely to survive. And even if I did survive, I wonder how I'd fair without modern medicine. I'm thinking mostly of my allergies, and how I used to end up in the emergency room pretty godawful asthma enhanced bronchitis at least once a year before they were properly treated. Or how likely the pneumonia would have killed me, one of the times I've had it, without anti-biotics.

Meanwhile, I have a lot of skills that would probably be useful in most catastrophes, and a number of survival skills that I've acquired just because I came of age in the eighties and they were kind of fun. First aid, CPR (I should go in for an update one of these days, but I've had the more extensive training they give to teachers). Basic construction, repair, etc. I know a lot of ways of making safe drinking water, and preparing food and making shelter under trying conditions. I'm better equipped to live off of the land than most, though I'm not saying I'd necessarily be good enough. (Note to world: When the apocalypse comes, can you make it happen in late spring?) In some ways I have a decent foundation in self defense, though I really haven't spent enough time around firearms. I know a fair bit about nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and how to make buildings from local materials... mmm, hard to imagine a situation under which those would really be useful, but hey. While we're at it, I can spin and weave, and make soap and paper and all other kinds of stuff that are pretty fun but not that likely to be practical in most actual catastrophes. And I usually don't freak out until several hours after the crisis is over.