This Is the World I Want to Live In — And What Math Has to Do With It

“If there is anything I can do to support your endeavour…. this is why I am here… cos this is the type of world I want to live in.”

-Jeff Erickson, Wastewater Operator

A Vision of a Better World

Imagine a world where every child has access to education, clean water flows freely, energy is renewable, cities are green, and communities are safe, compassionate, and fair. In this world, people value kindness as much as knowledge, and innovation serves humanity rather than divides it. Technology empowers, rather than overwhelms. Nature is protected, not exploited.

This isn’t just a utopian dream — it’s a blueprint for what humanity should be striving toward. It does sound like the present Singapore, but let’s never take this for granted. To build this world and improve on it, we need a foundation strong enough to carry our ideals into reality. Surprisingly, one of the strongest pillars of this foundation is Mathematics.

Why Math Matters in Building This World

Math is often seen as just numbers, equations, and exams. But in truth, math is the silent architect of progress. It’s the language that translates ideals into action, visions into blueprints, and hope into measurable impact.

• Fairness and Justice: Math underpins statistics and data analysis, which are essential for ensuring resources are distributed fairly. For example, governments use math to allocate healthcare, education, and infrastructure equitably.
• Sustainability: Climate change models, renewable energy efficiency, and resource optimization all depend on mathematical equations. Without math, we cannot calculate carbon footprints, predict weather patterns, or design solar panels.
• Education and Innovation: Algorithms, coding, and AI all start with mathematical principles. These drive the technology we use to connect, learn, and solve global challenges.
• Economics and Equality: Math drives financial systems, taxation fairness, and poverty reduction strategies. By understanding growth rates and income distribution, we can bridge the gap between rich and poor.
• Global Connection: Metcalfe’s Law — the value of a network grows exponentially as more people connect — shows us that cooperation and collaboration bring more benefit than competition and isolation.

The Kind of World Math Can Help Us Build

1. Sustainable Cities: Geometry and engineering help design eco-friendly housing and transport systems.
2. Healthcare for All: Statistics guide vaccine distribution, medical research, and public health planning.
3. Education Without Borders: Math powers online platforms, bringing quality education to even the remotest areas.
4. Climate Action: Mathematical models predict floods, storms, and rising sea levels, helping us prepare and protect vulnerable communities.
5. Peaceful Societies: Game theory and negotiation models help resolve conflicts and promote cooperation between nations.

The Human Side of Math

At its heart, math teaches us patience, problem-solving, and the courage to face complexity. It mirrors life itself: sometimes messy, often challenging, but always offering patterns and solutions if we look closely enough.

If we want a world filled with fairness, sustainability, and compassion, then math is not just a subject in school — it’s a moral compass. It gives us the tools to measure progress, correct our mistakes, and keep striving toward a better tomorrow.

A Vision of a Better World

Imagine a world where children laugh freely in safe neighborhoods, every person has access to clean water and nutritious food, renewable energy powers our cities, and technology brings people closer rather than driving them apart. A world where compassion is as valued as intelligence, and progress is measured not just by wealth but by well-being.

This world is possible, it already exists in Singapore — but the past and present does not insure the future. We recognize that the choices we make today will either build it upon or break it. The good and the bad both come from decisions made by people, communities, and nations. And at the core of those decisions lies education — the ability to think critically, calculate consequences, and choose wisely.

Math as the Compass for Our Decisions

Math is not just about equations on paper. It is the invisible thread weaving through every decision we make as a society:

• The Good: Math helps us allocate medical supplies fairly, design renewable energy grids, and reduce poverty through precise economic planning.
• The Bad: Without math, or when math is misused, we mismanage resources, widen inequality, and damage the planet through careless consumption.

In other words, math doesn’t just solve problems — it reveals the cost of our choices. It shows us that ignorance is expensive, while wisdom, carefully measured, is priceless.

Education as Our Opportunity Window

Education is the gateway to informed decision-making. A society that invests in teaching its children to read, write, calculate, and reason critically creates adults who can weigh options, predict outcomes, and choose paths that benefit everyone.

But education also comes with urgency:

• If we delay action on climate change, the equations tell us the damage will soon be irreversible.
• If we fail to teach empathy and fairness alongside mathematics, the data will only be used to exploit, not uplift.
• If we neglect education today, tomorrow’s leaders will be making decisions in the dark.

Math and education together are not simply about preparing for exams — they are about preparing for survival, for dignity, and for a future where we still have the power to choose.

The World We Create Through Our Decisions

Every day, with every choice, we are voting for the kind of world we will live in.

• When we choose renewable energy over fossil fuels, we vote for clean skies and healthier generations.
• When we choose to educate every child, we vote for a society that is fairer and more innovative.
• When we choose short-term profit over long-term sustainability, we vote for polluted rivers, rising seas, and fragile futures.
• When we choose to ignore math and science, we leave ourselves unprepared for the crises ahead.

Our decisions compound, much like interest in mathematics: small choices today grow into vast realities tomorrow.

Conclusion: Before It’s Too Late

The world we should be living in is not a fantasy — it’s a decision waiting to be made. And education gives us the tools to make that decision wisely. Math provides the compass, education gives us the map, and our choices chart the path forward.

The good or the bad — fairness or inequality, sustainability or collapse, compassion or indifference — is determined by what we decide, together, now.

The window is open. But it will not stay open forever. Let’s educate ourselves and our children to choose the world we want, before it’s too late.

Conclusion: A Call to Action

The world we want to live in — clean, fair, safe, and inspiring — is possible. But dreaming is not enough. We need to measure, plan, and build. And for that, math is our greatest ally.

So let’s not see math as a barrier but as a bridge. With it, we can connect imagination to reality, ideals to systems, and people to each other. The future we want starts with the numbers we understand today.

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