[mhurron]

> I'm optimistic that by 2050, we'll be much better off. In the meantime, 7-10 million worldwide will die every year from cancer

That's sort of how progress and improvements work, they benefit those that come later.

> We're racing to get self-driving cars to save a lot fewer people

And those people working on cars are probably don't have the skills or drive to deal with medical research. That not everyone on the planet is working on what you believe they should be means nothing.

[melling]

No one said people should switch jobs. You are filling in the wrong blanks. Thinking outside the box doesn't come easy for you?

[mhurron]

And what other meaning does "We're racing to get self-driving cars to save a lot fewer people" have in this context?

[melling]

Many people are excited that self-driving cars could potentially save a million lives a year, which will be an incredible achievement.

We need that sort of excitement and effort for cancer research. Eventually 40% of Americans will get cancer, for example:

http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics