2 - Scott MacKenzie, The Polymath on Science, Technology, Space And More

“By the time I die, I want to have at least pushed and advanced human civilization forward even if it’s the smallest step, like a small cog in a wheel for a big company or something that gets them further to my dream job. I want to work in space but if I can’t do it in my lifetime I want to at least make it possible for the next generation or the generation after that.” – Scott MacKenzie (age 24) My guest today is Scott MacKenzie. At the time of this recording, Scott is 24 years old (but you would not tell by the conversation we had and the topics we cover in this episode) and currently attending Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. He will graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree in the summer of 2019 and unlike most graduate students who are eager to jump into their careers, Scott wants to take a slightly different (and in my opinion a more patient) approach. Instead, (and this might change) he wants to work at different types of jobs throughout the world (possibly Antarctica or North America) until he figures out what he wants to do. Scott's voracious appetite for learning is contagious and he is one of those people that at the end of a conversation, not only did you learn several new things you didn't know before but you often end up asking yourself, "How does he know all of this?" I consider him to be a Polymath, someone who has wide-ranging knowledge or learning and not only does he have a passion for learning multiple topics of interest but he is able to dive deep into each one. His breadth AND depth of knowledge is impressive and this conversation was no exception to uncovering this fact. In 2010, Scott was in Grade 10 and only 16 years old when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces. He was in The Royal Winnipeg Rifles infantry unit where he stayed for six and a half years. Skip forward to last summer in 2018 which was between year two and three of his schooling and he had the opportunity to work up north as a probe assistant in the Yukon and Nunavut on a drill rig looking for diamonds. He would swing a hammer 6,000+ times/day working 10-12 hr days trying to knock out these rods that were filled with permafrost while drilling. As you could imagine this took a toll on his body so Scott did something about it... In this episode, we cover many topics including; The differences between college and university as well as working for small or large organizations; Space, specifically...why there are no structures on the moon, multiple ways how to terraform Mars, how he is interested in building civilizations away from earth and overall space expansion. We also dive into universal basic income and how purpose might differ for civilizations if we are living on more than one planet; Various forms of power in terms of energy sources; Motivation and purpose and much more. Lastly, I am very fortunate to be able to call Scott my brother-in-law (love ya, buddy!) Fun Fact: Scott has listened to 50 audiobooks in the past three to four years and when it comes to reading, he sets aside only 30-40 minutes per day. If you enjoyed the show, please rate and leave a review. Website: www.deandouglasshow.com Instagram: @deandouglasshow Youtube: The Dean Douglas Show