For brief description I do neuroscience research on human populations with psychopathologies like but not limited to ADHD, substance use disorder, and schizophrenia. The research mainly involves analyzing fMRI data and conducting statistical analyses or if applicable machine learning methods.
I do this research in a city where I sometimes meet finance or fintech workers at events outside of work. When I tell them what I do, they’re enamored saying that work is really cool and is hella a lot more substantial than what they do, many times feeling comfortable enough to joke that they don’t really do anything useful. I guess I find it illuminating that they feel comfortable sharing that with me and probably would be less comfortable sharing that with someone whose work they deem inferior.
And to be clear, the fMRI machines used to give me data that I analyze was designed by engineers and fabricated by machinists and operated by technicians. The raw material of copper and other metals used in the construction of an fMRI machine as well as the precious metals that went into semiconductor production allowing me to run computational analyses was done on the backs of countless exploited workers, children and adults, across Africa, South America, Asia, and so on. In summary, my abilities would be pie in the sky bullshit without billions of people having had contributed whether coerced or not.
So fuck the idea that my work is any more important this is a group effort no thanks to the parasites who take the spoils from this collective coordination.