[dabbledash]

I’m not sure that is the best way we know.

There are already many smart people who aren’t helping to solve those problems because they haven’t received the necessary education. I’d go so far as to say we’re probably missing out on the potential contributions of most smart people now.

What we need to do is figure out a way to radically increase access to education worldwide.

[danieltillett]

Do you know of a better way to create more smart people because I don't. It is not simply education or else the rich would never have dumb children.

Yes we are wasting the potential of many smart people in the world by not giving them the education they need, but we are pretty good at it across most of the world already and getting better all the time. A poor very smart kid no matter where she is born will likely be identified and given an education. I personally know many smart people born in total poverty in very poor countries who have reached a very high level of education.

[dabbledash]

I think the fact that you know many educated, smart people from very poor countries doesn’t mean that most or all smart people in very poor countries get good educations. I was under the impression that there were many places still where large numbers of children, particularly girls, don’t complete a secondary education. (Open to being wrong about that though).

I’m definitely not against looking for ways to make knowledge work compatible with building a larger family.

I just don’t think increasing reproduction in the college educated is our best play for increasing the number of smart people working on hard problems.

[danieltillett]

Most people in rich countries don’t get a very good education, but most very smart people (even girls) born anywhere do get a chance. I do agree we could do better, but things are overall improving.

I don’t think arguing for encouraging smart people to have more children argues against improving the education of poor smart people. This is not a zero sum game.