Hatrack River Forum: How many lives have you saved?

This is topic How many lives have you saved? in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :

Ever save a billion people?

quote:
WASHINGTON -- President Bush presented the Congressional Gold Medal on Tuesday to agriculture scientist Norman Borlaug, whose work on high-yield, disease-resistant varieties of wheat is credited with starting the "Green revolution" and alleviating starvation in India and Pakistan in the 1960s.

I think I found my new hero.

Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :

Very cool. Thanks for posting this, Javert.

Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :

He was mentioned in an episode of West Wing, no?

Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :

I'm not sure, as I've never seen 'The West Wing'. I first heard of him from the old Penn Jillette radio show, as he is a huge hero of Penn's.

Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :

Wow.

Added: To answer your question, I don't think I've saved any lives directly, though process safety (in design and operation) is one of my responsibilities at work -- I work for a company that produces synthetic rubber. Environmental footprint is another. So I'm doing a little bit, but haven't actually saved anyone.

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

Huh. Save a billion lives and the article photo is still Bush looking oddly at Pelosi [Wink]

Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :

I'm pretty sure in the episode about HIV in Africa, the one ambassador came to the US in hopes of finding a solution because an American had saved India from starvation - at which point Bartlett went on about Norman Borlaug and the dwarf wheat and how much of a genius he was.

Posted by AutumnWind (Member # 9124) on :

quote:
He was mentioned in an episode of West Wing, no?

Yes he was mentioned in Epsiode # 204 (26)

Posted by lem (Member # 6914) on :

He was also mentioned in Penn & Teller's BullS&*T in response to people who wanted to legislate organic only food. It was a great episode.

Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

Yes, a truly great man. He worked tirelessly to feed the world, and I'm sure he doesn't mind not being in the picture that goes with the article. [Smile]

He's also a Nobel Laureate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

Reading about this man's life makes me weep with joy. What an amazing journey.

Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :

quote:
Originally posted by twinky:
Wow.

Added: To answer your question, I don't think I've saved any lives directly, though process safety (in design and operation) is one of my responsibilities at work -- I work for a company that produces synthetic rubber. Environmental footprint is another. So I'm doing a little bit, but haven't actually saved anyone.

Obviously you should be working harder! [Wink]

Posted by Irami Osei-Frimpong (Member # 2229) on :

I first heard about him from the West Wing. About the question? One never knows.

I run into a lot of young doctors, med-students and pre-med students, and their parents, and there is something to be said for the physical act of saving a life, and it's as if it's the highest form of amoral technical skill. In other words, you don't actually have to be a good person to be a fantastic surgeon. I think that's why the profession is attractive to parents, to lesser degrees, law and engineering share this similar quality. One receives all of the prestige that's attached to such a noble endeavor without actually caring about being noble.

I think that's what sets it apart from, say, being a priest. Rev. Sam Shoemaker's thoughts led to the twelve step program in the 30s, and while he didn't physically save lives, I can't help but think that the quality of the caring thoughts of a Sam Shoemaker or Harriet Beecher Stowe taps a more fragile quality than the physical act of designing a stalk of wheat.

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

IIRC, there is a Penn & Teller's BullS&*T episode about 12 step programs too [Wink]

edit to add: here's the start http://youtube.com/watch?v=8tPNgHrIkgo

Posted by Nathan2006 (Member # 9387) on :

In responce to your question, No, I haven't saved a life before.

Ooooooooh (Sing with me):

Where did I go wrong, I've lost a friend
Somwhere along in the bitterness and
I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known, how to save a life.

I can also spell how the lead singer sings it:

air id I go rung, I lust a freen
Sum where uh lon in the bitternessan...

And so on.

Gosh, I'm slap-happy today.

Yay for feeding people. [Smile]

*** Edited for implied usage of the phonetic alphabet ***

Posted by the doctor (Member # 6789) on :

I work in traffic safety. I believe I have saved a few lives and I hope I'll save even more in the future.

I'd have no way of proving it though.

And it will always be a collective effort, rather than an individual one.

Posted by Slim (Member # 2334) on :

I've never saved a billion people (barring a George Bailey effect.) But I do save about 18 lives a year.

Posted by Kwea (Member # 2199) on :

18 of them.

Not including those who benefit from my blood, or the vaccinations I worked with at USAMRIID.

Good thing I am amoral, hey Irami? That's why I went into the medical field when I was younger....It couldn't possibly be because life is so fragile, and full of potential.

That statement told us more about you than it did about the people you thought you were discussing. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Javert (Member # 3076) on :

Irami, both priests and doctors can help people without caring about them.

Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :

You can help save ALL of them! AvertingHumanExtinction.org

[Big Grin]

Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :

Sounds like Norman is a good man. Definitely deserves mass respect

As for me, I've saved two lives. Once when I was two years old and sitting on my granpa's lap. He was deathly allergic to bee's and one flew up to us, so I reached out and closed it in my hand and let it sting me, thereby saving his life. (credited to me by my family, as I obviously don't remember)

The second time was recently when my brother and I pulled a drowing friend twice our size out of Galveston Bay all Baywatch style. Very exciting.

(edited for present tense. Thanks Olivet!)

[ July 19, 2007, 01:08 PM: Message edited by: vonk ]

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

"all Baywatch style"
You ran towards him in slow motion wearing a red swimsuit? [Wink]

Posted by Olivet (Member # 1104) on :

Mr. Borlaug is currently trying to help out in Africa, so speaking of him in the past tense is premature. [Wink]

Edit: Vonk, it must be so cool to be a hero like that!*imagines slow-mo rescue*

As the topic, I saved this guy about ten times, and this guy more times than I can easily count. Danger Boy loves Danger!

I've also made my sister eat when she had blood sugar lows, which probably saved many people. [Wink]

I did once lead a bunch of citizens out through the back of our offices into the alley when a deranged man became violent in the government office where I worked. He probably would not have killed anyone, but it was scary, as the people were trapped until my supervisor tore down part of the wall. She was so calm. I stayed calm, too, until it was all over and I found it difficult to walk for the shaking.

[ July 19, 2007, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Olivet ]

Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :

I've saved her more times then I can count. Also her a handful of times.

On the flip side, I have been responsible for the deaths of him him and especially him more times then I can count. [Frown]

[ July 19, 2007, 01:41 PM: Message edited by: BlackBlade ]