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If you want to pursue money, then yes both are your best options. Not really a significant difference, you’re just a cog in some billionaires machine extracting your soul for $$$.

Avoid both and Choose to make a difference in people’s lives.



It is very difficult to make a positive difference in anyone’s life with his given skills.

The best he can do is not actively make anyone else’s life worse, so go with finance, and adopt a shelter animal.


>It is very difficult to make a positive difference in anyone’s life with his given skills.

Based on what? Anecdotal, but my partner is a data scientist and statistician full-time . She regularly volunteers or contracts her skillset to a range of projects, including medical research and criminal justice. It's very impactful work - some of the research will massively improve people's lives. And there is definitely enough work to mostly focus on those projects if someone wants to.


Can I ask where she finds these volunteer projects? I have that skill set and that day job and haven't found any volunteer places that make use of specifically the data science/ML/stats. I've looked unsuccessfully a few times.


Mostly from past colleagues/professors she did research with. Universities are a good place to look as they often have other groups reaching out to them for expertise.


There are plenty of opportunities for people with their skill set in the realm of biomedical research.




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