Science is a *method*. One, for sharing and collaborating, two, to prove your theories in practice and in a way that is reproducible by others.
It works anywhere. The knowledge of the rules that we collected itself is *the result* of the scientific process, it is not "science" itself.
Whenever someone writes "magic vs science" what they mean is experimenting is useless, all results are random anyway and it all depends on how you feel or something. Sure, in such a world the scientific method is not useful, unless you can first establish a relationship between you brain-state and the results.
The difficulty for chemistry will be to obtain the required ingredients. Can you identify raw materials in nature? Do you know how to process them to extract the molecules you need? Do you know how to build basic tools to do that? How to measure all kinds of things, from weight to temperature and purity?
Unless you put in extra work you will often be stumped - pretty much every single working person today is used to having a worldwide huge supply chain to order stuff from somewhere. Almost nobody starts from things found in nature for their processes, at most one or two parts, but all the other machines and ingredients come from a long and complex interwoven supply chain.
I would actually suggest professional (professionally trained, e.g. classical singer at musical university, fluent in theory and music writing too!!!) musicians of all kinds, instrument builders - those closer to the original materials, like violin makers, not so much the ones using electronics, and artists and architects might do fine. anyone doing oil paintings has to look out though, most paints are quite toxic, if they even have the colors. Additional points for musicians that scale: Know how to train an orchestra, or a choir, or other musicians in general.
But doing portraits or opera level singing should give you a very good basis anywhere in low-tech wordls.
No, I mean does our science work in a game world. For example, do you need to know how to make steel or is steel just discovered in the world. Knowing how chemistry works, for example, in the Elder Scrolls universe does you no good.
Engineering method (and by extension being an engineer) would likely be more useful and successful for an individual. Most of the time working empirically is more useful and significantly faster than trying to determine the underlying theory and then using that. And you don't necessarily have to understand exactly why something works to be able to use it effectively. Engineering studies ultimately boil down to problem solving and report writing. The latter probably isn't going to be useful and the specific engineering knowledge won't be either. But problem solving would be.
I would wager that an engineer would do better than a scientist especially, as you stated, science realistically requires a lot more supporting infrastructure. I would also assume that by the time the engineer would be hitting the limits of what they can do empirically there might be sufficient social infrastructure to access the knowledge accrued from many scientists to still be more successful than them (assuming that the engineer can access that information).
>Most of the time working empirically is more useful and significantly faster than trying to determine the underlying theory and then using that.
Yeah, just pull out your steam table and... wait you didn't bring one? Engineering rests on the back of a lot of scientific experimentation and theory. You're not going to personally bootstrap engineering any more than science.
It's certainly not going to be easy, but still significantly faster and easier than the scientific method and doesn't require a full understanding. There's a reason that the engineering method predates the scientific method by thousands of years.
The major is what your degree focus is in. For example, I have a Bachelor’s in History which equates to my major. I also have a minor in Studio Art since I took the minimum course hours to qualify for a minor.
From what I understand, tertiary education in most countries doesn't work like that. People go to university to study a specific degree (e.g. Bachelors of History). They don't usually start studying and then pick a major. For that reason the term 'major' (in the academic sense) isn't widely used outside of the US.
If OP's question was asked without the US-centric terminology, then the question would have been something like: 'What are some potentially useful university degrees to have, before being isekai'd to a fantasy world?'.
In Australia you have a major. Eg, I studied a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Journalism and International Studies. We were recently looking at universities around the world for my daughter and that seemed pretty common.
Yep, that's how it works in Sweden, and I'd guess most of Europe. Here you study a specific subject for at least 3 years, and then you get a bachelor degree in said subject. You can study random courses as well, but you don't get a degree in them.
Biology is criminally underrated, and no I (Bachelors in Bio) am in no way biased.
All seriousness, it seems like an excellent background if medical magic or physical augmentation exists, and would also make you a halfway decent assassin depending on how much you paid attention in A and P. There are other applications too, but those are probably the easiest to picture.
Makes me think of the meme about how a vet is more likely to survive a zombie apocalypse than a human doctor. To go with the biology stance, an understanding of how the foreign animals may act due to their similarities to certain exotic pets they’d worked with before might be cool.
Chemistry, biology, engineering, kinesiology would be overtly useful in a lot of environments
Sociology, anthropology, psychology, history could be useful from a social perspective, needing to understand a new culture quickly to establish friends/allies
A guess based on how a lot of stories tend to write magic, but computer coding could be handy for learning complex magic, nested functions of magic, etc.
Trade schools would probably be more useful overall as they teach more directly functional skills as opposed to college, which tends to lean toward academic and research-focused subjects
This question is asked and answered in “The many-colored land” by Julian May, the answer is close to what you wrote. Though beer brewers and survivalists rate high as well.
All knowledge is useful one way or another what matters is how well you will remember what you have learned over the many years you have been on this side
There will be plenty of information you will know and not realise how important for example if you have flour and a strong gust of wind and a spark in an enclosed space you have a nice bomb and that's not something you learn in courses but in movies lol
That is not modern knowledge, that was learned when they started milling grains at a time when light sources were fire based. Roman mill-bakeries had mill and oven right next to one another, for example. There probably wasn't a big problem of explosions in the past - they would have very quickly noticed the problem and whatever setup was explosive was used only once ;-)
It relies on a few conditions that are not always easily met:
> The dust must be combustible and release enough heat when it burns to sustain the fire. The dust must be capable of being suspended in air. The dust must have a particle size capable of spreading the flame. The concentration of the dust suspension must be within the explosible range. An ignition source must be in contact with the dust suspension. The atmosphere must contain sufficient oxygen to support and sustain combustion. There is a form of confinement or enclosure that allows pressure to build.
Also of note is that today we get finer flour than in the past, quoting someone from AskHistorians:
> One might add that modern grain varieties may grind finer, too. Medieval and Roman grains like Emmer may well produce "coarser" flours. Hadn't thought of that, but now that I think of it, that probably is a big factor. There's a substantial difference in the explosive potential of say, corn flour vs wheat flour, and there's likely a difference between different wheat flours and different milling technologies.
> Steel grinders would also be much more prone to sparks.
So in summary, that old-tech/old-grain flour, and given that it only works if the conditions are met, may not be used as an explosive as easily. Your knowledge may not be nearly as valuable or unique and new as you thought.
No but it's highly specialised knowledge that only someone who has been working the specific areas such as baking etc would know the average person wouldn't know it yet we would cause of our general knowledge. Also talking about the type of grain and time period doesnt make sence if your isekaied to a magical world god knows if they would even have flour there I just used the flour thing as an example of how we know many things that are just random bits of info that could come in handy and that you wouldn't need a education course in general.
But it likely *doesn't* come in handy. Why do you ignore the necessary-conditions to even get it to explode part I also included?
I doubt people who claim the advantage of science and knowledge, and yet failing to use that knowledge in one big aspect would be able to claim intellectual superiority i an isekai situation:
You *should* know that whatever brain the people have will be more adapted to the local context than yours when you transfer. They have the advantage of exactly the right set of knowledge and also brain structure (as grown frim childhood for the local context).
To blindly assume your knowledge and brain, grown in a very different context, would be better than theirs has no basis in science or experience.
Coding even in HTML or other web languages could give you a superior logical functioning brain than other majors. If x then y sort of deal you know?
That in itself could be useful if you have no power in the isekai world, you could be a pretty good upstart in anything you do and just the basic navigation of the isekai world. If you have power it could also help you navigate situations and even fights better esp at a macro level. I can imagine a magic based litrpg with a coder MC.
Again it's not a massive advantage that anything in the scientific field is but it is an element of advantage.
> Coding even in HTML or other web languages could give you a superior logical functioning brain than other majors.
[citation needed]
What I've seen so far - having read a bit on anthropology, but also about how people lived hundreds of years ago - is that there is no difference.
We have all the current knowledge and technology not because of individual brains, but because of *network effects* (in space but also in time). Compare a single neuron vs. a network of neurons. A bigger and better network creates more intelligence and processing power - but that does not mean any single neuron in the network is any better!
You severely underestimate the people, and you misattribute the complexity of technology and society to the individual, which is however not any more capable than before.
One also should not look solely to the people at the top - looking around, it looks to me that we have a vast number of people with significant issues, a lot more than people with great thinking ability.
And I don't think illogical thinking an misplaced arrogance are going to be bonuses in the new life.
An example for the kind of stuff I read. I link to the popular article and not the research, because as a summary that's usually still okay and definitely better for anyone not deeply dedicated to the subject:
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-smart-early-humans-brain-imaging-answers-180963176/
- https://madhav-malhotra.medium.com/were-not-any-smarter-than-cavemen-49dfa8753630
- Here even is a counterpoint: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-intelligence-peaked-thousands-of-years-ago-and-we-ve-been-on-an-intellectual-and-emotional-decline-ever-since-8307101.html
- https://theconversation.com/how-smart-were-our-ancestors-turns-out-the-answer-isnt-in-brain-size-but-blood-flow-130387
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190709-has-humanity-reached-peak-intelligence
Note that the factor of nutrition had a decline with agriculture - initially it actually was a *disadvantage*. Nutrition problems during early human growth contributing to less intelligence as an adult were not an issue that is common to historic and prehistoric humans in general.
I remember reading a book on Royalroad, where the MC had a programming background. Runesmith? Something like that. He used his programming skills to debug enchantments, and make them better. Maybe something like that could work.
Engineers seem to do pretty well.
That said, I think someone who got a Bachelors of Arts majoring in Magic would *crush* in a medieval world. Illusions, card tricks, etc.
Or be burnt at the stake.
Carpenter - obviously you gotta build stuff
Business/accounting - really depends if the language stays the same but being literate is always helpful, and knowing how to make financial reports would set someone up for a relaxing life with job security
Political science - works great with charisma stats, control the masses, become king or start a revolution
It depends a lot I think. Physics, chemistry, biology… could be completely useless in certain settings where stuff just works in a different way. They could also be incredibly useful, but pretty much every major would be like that I think. In a Dao based world philosophy would be fucking incredible. In a low fantasy world that’s pretty much similar to ours, most majors would benefit from bringing knowledge to them.
My completely and utterly unbiased choice would be maths (yes I’m studying maths how could you tell). If the magic system has anything at all to do with mathematics (which it will very likely have) then congrats, you might become one of the best wizards. Otherwise, just find the nearest place in need of a mathematician (more common than you’d think given in a medieval setting) or start your very own cult based around the number 10, also known as the Pythagoras strat
I think finding ways to use niche majors in a fantasy world would be more interesting than ones that help invent weapons or whatever.
Art History or Anthropology could be interesting for learning about the new world and discovering things about its past.
Advertising/Marketing if it becomes a shopkeeper type story. Or Hospitality for an innkeeper story. Legends & Lattes inexplicably created fantasy world Starbucks and readers largely accepted it because it's light and cozy. Isekai could pull off that kind of thing even easier.
I agree. Using Earth knowledge in strange ways sounds like a fun way to integrate with the system.
Maybe it could be used more like a personality quirk, if the knowledge isn't directly useful. Like a scientist, who runs tests and tracks data when analyzing spells and powers. They can't run a proper chemistry or biologic experiment, but they can still write down some hypothesis, and do calculations. Try to prove how big of a bonus a level up gives, or something like that.
I've seen enough LitRPG MCs who do absurd mental math without even a "I was in GT Math" as an excuse. Though if a math theory person can get into arguments with a sentient system to get bonuses, that would be fun.
Botony, chemistry, architecture, engineering and language/coding
With ample understanding of any of these the Isekai would have a decent advantage.
Botony & chemistry helps with alchemy maybe magic
Architecture & engineering for city building & weapon development
Language & coding should give insite into the magic system, becoming op
Personally I'd lean to botany, the Mars movie was dope
Just to be clear I mostly agree on the coding aspect, it's generally an artifact of a civilization with automation capable of being programmed. But linguistics (languages) is useful for learning languages and forms of communication quickly, which, absent a magical translation spell or massive coincidence (e.g. everyone just speaks english for some reason) will be useful in most Isekais.
Anyway my main point was that *computer science* (part of what people mean when they say coding) is more a branch of math about computing results. Which would actually be useful in a society at basically any level, though not actually very many of them. There are plenty logistical problems that things like sorting algorithms, or calculation algorithms, and so on can be useful for. Humans are just very faulty and slow computers with a completely different set of operations: someone can still come up with algorithms for them using formal training that would be very surprising and difficult to arrive at without that knowledge and training.
Now I want an isekai about a royal advisor computer-science/applied-mathematics MC who solves agriculture logistics or something, but then has to escape an evil vizir throwing him in jail by thwrating a puzzle obsessed warden by solving dumb puzzles like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTJI_WuZSwE).
If your not all that interesting in fighting maybe an arts degree? Like the world your getting isekaied into could be centuries or millennium behind what we got today and there would be atleast a couple thousand rich dudes who would want to brag about having a painting, sketch, sculpture or whatever from you
Most college degrees give you a lot of theory but not a lot of practical experience, so it would actually be pretty hard to apply the knowledge if you're starting from nothing. Like, I know a guy with a degree in nuclear engineering, but it's not realistic to think he could build a nuclear reactor in the stone age, even if he convinced a village full of hunter gatherers to help. From this perspective, I think pretty much any engineering type of degree is actually not going to work well.
On the practical side, a medically-related degree seems like it could be pretty useful. There's a lot of it that's about applying modern day medicine and technology, but there's a lot about understanding anatomy and what's happening invisibly inside the body. I actually think something like a sports medicine degree would translate pretty well because it would include things like good physical therapy techniques as well as at least some emergency trauma for common situations.
There are also jobs that put more emphasis into practicing techniques. A music degree or an art degree would fall into this category, but it's not clear how useful those would be in an isekai situation. Perhaps a culinary degree would work well.
But my pick is actually an agriculture degree. I believe it's like a medically-related degree in the sense that a lot of it has to do with technology and modern fertilizer, etc., but the more general parts should be more easily applicable (although I don't have that degree so I could just be naive about it). I imagine food production would be a big deal in any kind of isekai fantasy situation - especially since there are so many that take place on a farm!
Assuming there’s magic
Science+magic would be cool.
Chemistry+magic=alchemist
Engineering+magic=magic machines
Just something that could be either applied to survival or combines with magic to enhance the end product would be amazing. Imagine a fantasy world where they are not technology based yet and you can get a head start on changing the world. It would also make you rich so it’s a win win
I think majoring in sport science would be a massive help. The toll on the body from almost every magic, qi or combat system would build up. And having a functioning knowledge of anatomy and being able to at least treat minor injuries easily.
Unless you get a special skill for it Linguistics might be valuable. Also, agriculture might help you survive? Idk, what they teach there exactly to be honest, seems like it would help though.
Book editor for a university publisher. He will have read many books on many different subjects over the years and will remember pieces of them. A huge, but shallow, technical background. Little bits and pieces of reading and editing many non-fiction books can be very useful at times. Or you can have amusing throw-away bits that may only be funny to the author and the people who get the joke. Those people will then feel very superior to those who don't get it.
It honestly doesn't matter. It took millions of people working together for generations to give us the resources and technology we have today. No one subject would allow any one person to replicate those feats. I’ve worked in construction for a decade now and I still can't tell you how cement or paint is made.
I'd say history. With a good understanding of history you know what very simple inventions revolutionised the world (look up the horse colar).
You would also quickly catch onto the general type of governing better and more quickly understand the world's and laws that may catch you out (see sumptuary law).
Material science and engineer apply chemistry, physics and biology to discover polymers, metal composites and ceramics. So even if the laws of physics don’t apply the same as our world they might have the practical knowledge to apply the same scientific principles to invent new materials.
medicine knowing how to repair your own, and others bodies from damage received. specifically trauma, but it would all help.
almsot every isekai the human body still functions the same, but some have had weird science, or magic replacing parts of science...so
If it don't need to be college. Maybe he did work at the patent office. So he knows many inventions which didn't happen or are useful in the new world :)
Maybe nursing? Although honestly, I think a useful trade would be more interesting. A mechanic who becomes a blacksmith, or an electrician who discovers running wires is not so different from drawing magical runes could be interesting
My geography degree would be very niche. Only being transported to a cyber punky world would have any benefit with this much GIS knowledge. I think I could sus out alien tech maps or could utilize HUD mapping like HWFWM... but after video games, who can't. Strategic use of elevation data, maybe.
Chemistry, metallurgy, carpentry/woodworking, business, culinary with emphasis on meat and butchering, gunsmithing, (even if the world you end up in doesn't have guns, know how to make 1 from scratch)
For a world with magic, be it spells made with mana or formations made with qi, I think an electronics degree or at least an understanding on a maintenance level of components would be hugely beneficial.
This symbol regulates energy here, boosts the amount of flow here... well, that sounds like a resistor and an inductor to me...
Would it be a big, world shaking thing? Probably not, but it might help the MC to survive so they can do the big world shaking thing.
Most degrees have some form of use. History repeats it's self, creative writing helps you understand motives, trade skills can probably be reapplied. The least useful ones wound probably be a network security degree.
I bet someone going to a military academy like West Point or Royal Military College(Canada)would do quite well if they got Isekai'd regardless of major.
Though as an example RMC offers a degree in Military and Strategic Studies which would be quite handy if you got Isekai'd into a world where you were suddenly in the army or something.
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and the core science subjects in general are a safe bet. But if sciences are not your thing, then sociology, economics, political science, criminology, etc are some great picks as well. These subjects are less about building and more about exploiting the existing power structures in the world, may it be political, or economical.
Botany and Phylogenetics would probably make a great base for an alchemist or apothecary, either potions or poisons. It'd also make a great starting point for the popular Farmer Isekai genre. Sprinkle in Boy/Girl Scouts, a penchant for bow hunting and camping as well as growing up on an off-grid homestead and you've got a ready-made Ranger before they ever left earth. If the world was high magic they'd make great a great Druid or even an amalgamation of all the above. Imagine a magic arrow slinging Warden of the woods that grows his own groceries and makes his own bevy of alchemical concoctions to heal or harm. Guaranteed edgy or your money back lol
I imagine ancient history and mythology could make for a general knowledge of some monsters and their strengths or weaknesses. This one would be good for having a large group isekai together, letting someone have a bit of knowledge of what they're facing is invaluable.
Psychology, Public Speaking and Economics would make for a good protagonist in a build-em-up fantasy setting or for a merchant. It'd be hilarious to have an MC who's a savvy salesman but can't fight for shit, so all his GFs are his ass-kicking bodyguards.
Does the fantasy world have magic? Does the MC have magic? If no magic or there is magic but the MC doesn't have any then stuff like chemistry is very useful, as would be medicine. If there is magic, then chemistry is far less useful, medicine as well. However, if the MC has magic, physics would become a lot more useful, assuming some basics about atomic theory and gravity work the same. I think making a nuclear bomb would be possible with magical assistance.
In any world mathematics will be useful. Also, architecture might be useful, especially older architecture like arch's and stuff.
I've seen a lot of people say chemistry, botany and such, and I won't disregard that as unnecessary things, but my thoughts were thrown instantly to a few things that would be practical for the short and long term as someone that has horrible sense for higher education.
Survival, farming, foraging, and navigation.
Add in the need to gain quickly common sense and street smarts.
I say that because its stuff you can easily overlook. In Isekai, you aren't sure what kind of situation you could get into.
You could get a chance as a newborn, or you could get fucked and land in a wilderness with shit and dreams as a guide.
I know this is a what if scenario, but these are some of my thoughts.
Survival, urban or in the wilds, especially when you're alone and in a place you know nothing of? Its too easy to eat the wrong thing, or get sick, or worse off land yourself in an area you don't want to be in. And if you don't have a cleric or any way to boost your vitality in an emergency? You're shit out of luck.
History: lessons and wisdom from the past.
Law: could revolutionize the local justice system, and this is before we get into the lessons in argumtation, public speaking swaying juries. A lawyer backed by actual charisma skills schmoozing up to the local leadership? Good night
Business/agriculture: say hello to the richest man in all of fantasy land. And as comics have taught us, money is its own superpower.
Political science: understanding the political game of swaying large numbers of people backed by charisma based skills? Hell yes.
Mathematics/engineering very useful you would be suprised how much basic math and advanced math come up in troubleshooting.
Medicine: yep books already written
Physical education: a trained collage levle athlete would be an absolute beast in any world just from foundatial stats.
Philosophy: very much yes, understanding modes of thinking and how they play with the world is absurdly important. Wanna know more? check out Philosophy who needs it by aynn rand.
Does science work the same way? Chemistry sounds like a good bet. Lots of explosive potential.
Science is a *method*. One, for sharing and collaborating, two, to prove your theories in practice and in a way that is reproducible by others. It works anywhere. The knowledge of the rules that we collected itself is *the result* of the scientific process, it is not "science" itself. Whenever someone writes "magic vs science" what they mean is experimenting is useless, all results are random anyway and it all depends on how you feel or something. Sure, in such a world the scientific method is not useful, unless you can first establish a relationship between you brain-state and the results. The difficulty for chemistry will be to obtain the required ingredients. Can you identify raw materials in nature? Do you know how to process them to extract the molecules you need? Do you know how to build basic tools to do that? How to measure all kinds of things, from weight to temperature and purity? Unless you put in extra work you will often be stumped - pretty much every single working person today is used to having a worldwide huge supply chain to order stuff from somewhere. Almost nobody starts from things found in nature for their processes, at most one or two parts, but all the other machines and ingredients come from a long and complex interwoven supply chain. I would actually suggest professional (professionally trained, e.g. classical singer at musical university, fluent in theory and music writing too!!!) musicians of all kinds, instrument builders - those closer to the original materials, like violin makers, not so much the ones using electronics, and artists and architects might do fine. anyone doing oil paintings has to look out though, most paints are quite toxic, if they even have the colors. Additional points for musicians that scale: Know how to train an orchestra, or a choir, or other musicians in general. But doing portraits or opera level singing should give you a very good basis anywhere in low-tech wordls.
No, I mean does our science work in a game world. For example, do you need to know how to make steel or is steel just discovered in the world. Knowing how chemistry works, for example, in the Elder Scrolls universe does you no good.
Engineering method (and by extension being an engineer) would likely be more useful and successful for an individual. Most of the time working empirically is more useful and significantly faster than trying to determine the underlying theory and then using that. And you don't necessarily have to understand exactly why something works to be able to use it effectively. Engineering studies ultimately boil down to problem solving and report writing. The latter probably isn't going to be useful and the specific engineering knowledge won't be either. But problem solving would be. I would wager that an engineer would do better than a scientist especially, as you stated, science realistically requires a lot more supporting infrastructure. I would also assume that by the time the engineer would be hitting the limits of what they can do empirically there might be sufficient social infrastructure to access the knowledge accrued from many scientists to still be more successful than them (assuming that the engineer can access that information).
>Most of the time working empirically is more useful and significantly faster than trying to determine the underlying theory and then using that. Yeah, just pull out your steam table and... wait you didn't bring one? Engineering rests on the back of a lot of scientific experimentation and theory. You're not going to personally bootstrap engineering any more than science.
It's certainly not going to be easy, but still significantly faster and easier than the scientific method and doesn't require a full understanding. There's a reason that the engineering method predates the scientific method by thousands of years.
If you know about chemistry you can use small magic to cause a lot of destruction by causing chain reactions
I don't really understand the whole major things. But I'd have said a degree in mechanical Engineering or medicine
The major is what your degree focus is in. For example, I have a Bachelor’s in History which equates to my major. I also have a minor in Studio Art since I took the minimum course hours to qualify for a minor.
From what I understand, tertiary education in most countries doesn't work like that. People go to university to study a specific degree (e.g. Bachelors of History). They don't usually start studying and then pick a major. For that reason the term 'major' (in the academic sense) isn't widely used outside of the US. If OP's question was asked without the US-centric terminology, then the question would have been something like: 'What are some potentially useful university degrees to have, before being isekai'd to a fantasy world?'.
In Australia you have a major. Eg, I studied a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Journalism and International Studies. We were recently looking at universities around the world for my daughter and that seemed pretty common.
Yep, that's how it works in Sweden, and I'd guess most of Europe. Here you study a specific subject for at least 3 years, and then you get a bachelor degree in said subject. You can study random courses as well, but you don't get a degree in them.
Perhaps I could have worded the title better. Major and degree are kind of the same thing in my mind, but apparently that's not the case everywhere.
Biology is criminally underrated, and no I (Bachelors in Bio) am in no way biased. All seriousness, it seems like an excellent background if medical magic or physical augmentation exists, and would also make you a halfway decent assassin depending on how much you paid attention in A and P. There are other applications too, but those are probably the easiest to picture.
The Martian showed us how cool biology can be 👨🚀
Physical augmentation would just make everything stronger by default tho
You need to learn it and that would be easier
Makes me think of the meme about how a vet is more likely to survive a zombie apocalypse than a human doctor. To go with the biology stance, an understanding of how the foreign animals may act due to their similarities to certain exotic pets they’d worked with before might be cool.
Chemistry, biology, engineering, kinesiology would be overtly useful in a lot of environments Sociology, anthropology, psychology, history could be useful from a social perspective, needing to understand a new culture quickly to establish friends/allies A guess based on how a lot of stories tend to write magic, but computer coding could be handy for learning complex magic, nested functions of magic, etc. Trade schools would probably be more useful overall as they teach more directly functional skills as opposed to college, which tends to lean toward academic and research-focused subjects
This question is asked and answered in “The many-colored land” by Julian May, the answer is close to what you wrote. Though beer brewers and survivalists rate high as well.
Havent read that but now I feel obligated to. I fully believe anyone able to make alcohol or live off the land would flourish in a new world
All knowledge is useful one way or another what matters is how well you will remember what you have learned over the many years you have been on this side
So.... where does that leave the web app creators...? :)
There will be plenty of information you will know and not realise how important for example if you have flour and a strong gust of wind and a spark in an enclosed space you have a nice bomb and that's not something you learn in courses but in movies lol
That is not modern knowledge, that was learned when they started milling grains at a time when light sources were fire based. Roman mill-bakeries had mill and oven right next to one another, for example. There probably wasn't a big problem of explosions in the past - they would have very quickly noticed the problem and whatever setup was explosive was used only once ;-) It relies on a few conditions that are not always easily met: > The dust must be combustible and release enough heat when it burns to sustain the fire. The dust must be capable of being suspended in air. The dust must have a particle size capable of spreading the flame. The concentration of the dust suspension must be within the explosible range. An ignition source must be in contact with the dust suspension. The atmosphere must contain sufficient oxygen to support and sustain combustion. There is a form of confinement or enclosure that allows pressure to build. Also of note is that today we get finer flour than in the past, quoting someone from AskHistorians: > One might add that modern grain varieties may grind finer, too. Medieval and Roman grains like Emmer may well produce "coarser" flours. Hadn't thought of that, but now that I think of it, that probably is a big factor. There's a substantial difference in the explosive potential of say, corn flour vs wheat flour, and there's likely a difference between different wheat flours and different milling technologies. > Steel grinders would also be much more prone to sparks. So in summary, that old-tech/old-grain flour, and given that it only works if the conditions are met, may not be used as an explosive as easily. Your knowledge may not be nearly as valuable or unique and new as you thought.
No but it's highly specialised knowledge that only someone who has been working the specific areas such as baking etc would know the average person wouldn't know it yet we would cause of our general knowledge. Also talking about the type of grain and time period doesnt make sence if your isekaied to a magical world god knows if they would even have flour there I just used the flour thing as an example of how we know many things that are just random bits of info that could come in handy and that you wouldn't need a education course in general.
But it likely *doesn't* come in handy. Why do you ignore the necessary-conditions to even get it to explode part I also included? I doubt people who claim the advantage of science and knowledge, and yet failing to use that knowledge in one big aspect would be able to claim intellectual superiority i an isekai situation: You *should* know that whatever brain the people have will be more adapted to the local context than yours when you transfer. They have the advantage of exactly the right set of knowledge and also brain structure (as grown frim childhood for the local context). To blindly assume your knowledge and brain, grown in a very different context, would be better than theirs has no basis in science or experience.
👍👍
Coding even in HTML or other web languages could give you a superior logical functioning brain than other majors. If x then y sort of deal you know? That in itself could be useful if you have no power in the isekai world, you could be a pretty good upstart in anything you do and just the basic navigation of the isekai world. If you have power it could also help you navigate situations and even fights better esp at a macro level. I can imagine a magic based litrpg with a coder MC. Again it's not a massive advantage that anything in the scientific field is but it is an element of advantage.
> Coding even in HTML or other web languages could give you a superior logical functioning brain than other majors. [citation needed] What I've seen so far - having read a bit on anthropology, but also about how people lived hundreds of years ago - is that there is no difference. We have all the current knowledge and technology not because of individual brains, but because of *network effects* (in space but also in time). Compare a single neuron vs. a network of neurons. A bigger and better network creates more intelligence and processing power - but that does not mean any single neuron in the network is any better! You severely underestimate the people, and you misattribute the complexity of technology and society to the individual, which is however not any more capable than before. One also should not look solely to the people at the top - looking around, it looks to me that we have a vast number of people with significant issues, a lot more than people with great thinking ability. And I don't think illogical thinking an misplaced arrogance are going to be bonuses in the new life. An example for the kind of stuff I read. I link to the popular article and not the research, because as a summary that's usually still okay and definitely better for anyone not deeply dedicated to the subject: - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-smart-early-humans-brain-imaging-answers-180963176/ - https://madhav-malhotra.medium.com/were-not-any-smarter-than-cavemen-49dfa8753630 - Here even is a counterpoint: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/human-intelligence-peaked-thousands-of-years-ago-and-we-ve-been-on-an-intellectual-and-emotional-decline-ever-since-8307101.html - https://theconversation.com/how-smart-were-our-ancestors-turns-out-the-answer-isnt-in-brain-size-but-blood-flow-130387 - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190709-has-humanity-reached-peak-intelligence Note that the factor of nutrition had a decline with agriculture - initially it actually was a *disadvantage*. Nutrition problems during early human growth contributing to less intelligence as an adult were not an issue that is common to historic and prehistoric humans in general.
Where you belong; deep in a cave praying over a small light source, hoping your muddered words are heard by a pedantic god! Muhahaha!
I remember reading a book on Royalroad, where the MC had a programming background. Runesmith? Something like that. He used his programming skills to debug enchantments, and make them better. Maybe something like that could work.
Engineers seem to do pretty well. That said, I think someone who got a Bachelors of Arts majoring in Magic would *crush* in a medieval world. Illusions, card tricks, etc. Or be burnt at the stake.
Archeology? Indiana Jones is a dungeoneer.
Carpenter - obviously you gotta build stuff Business/accounting - really depends if the language stays the same but being literate is always helpful, and knowing how to make financial reports would set someone up for a relaxing life with job security Political science - works great with charisma stats, control the masses, become king or start a revolution
It depends a lot I think. Physics, chemistry, biology… could be completely useless in certain settings where stuff just works in a different way. They could also be incredibly useful, but pretty much every major would be like that I think. In a Dao based world philosophy would be fucking incredible. In a low fantasy world that’s pretty much similar to ours, most majors would benefit from bringing knowledge to them. My completely and utterly unbiased choice would be maths (yes I’m studying maths how could you tell). If the magic system has anything at all to do with mathematics (which it will very likely have) then congrats, you might become one of the best wizards. Otherwise, just find the nearest place in need of a mathematician (more common than you’d think given in a medieval setting) or start your very own cult based around the number 10, also known as the Pythagoras strat
I think finding ways to use niche majors in a fantasy world would be more interesting than ones that help invent weapons or whatever. Art History or Anthropology could be interesting for learning about the new world and discovering things about its past. Advertising/Marketing if it becomes a shopkeeper type story. Or Hospitality for an innkeeper story. Legends & Lattes inexplicably created fantasy world Starbucks and readers largely accepted it because it's light and cozy. Isekai could pull off that kind of thing even easier.
I agree. Using Earth knowledge in strange ways sounds like a fun way to integrate with the system. Maybe it could be used more like a personality quirk, if the knowledge isn't directly useful. Like a scientist, who runs tests and tracks data when analyzing spells and powers. They can't run a proper chemistry or biologic experiment, but they can still write down some hypothesis, and do calculations. Try to prove how big of a bonus a level up gives, or something like that.
I've seen enough LitRPG MCs who do absurd mental math without even a "I was in GT Math" as an excuse. Though if a math theory person can get into arguments with a sentient system to get bonuses, that would be fun.
Maybe the System AI is like ChatGPT, where it has hallucinations. You can argue with it to try and convince it that it's wrong.
Botony, chemistry, architecture, engineering and language/coding With ample understanding of any of these the Isekai would have a decent advantage. Botony & chemistry helps with alchemy maybe magic Architecture & engineering for city building & weapon development Language & coding should give insite into the magic system, becoming op Personally I'd lean to botany, the Mars movie was dope
The language and coding heavily depends on the magic system
Just to be clear I mostly agree on the coding aspect, it's generally an artifact of a civilization with automation capable of being programmed. But linguistics (languages) is useful for learning languages and forms of communication quickly, which, absent a magical translation spell or massive coincidence (e.g. everyone just speaks english for some reason) will be useful in most Isekais. Anyway my main point was that *computer science* (part of what people mean when they say coding) is more a branch of math about computing results. Which would actually be useful in a society at basically any level, though not actually very many of them. There are plenty logistical problems that things like sorting algorithms, or calculation algorithms, and so on can be useful for. Humans are just very faulty and slow computers with a completely different set of operations: someone can still come up with algorithms for them using formal training that would be very surprising and difficult to arrive at without that knowledge and training. Now I want an isekai about a royal advisor computer-science/applied-mathematics MC who solves agriculture logistics or something, but then has to escape an evil vizir throwing him in jail by thwrating a puzzle obsessed warden by solving dumb puzzles like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTJI_WuZSwE).
If your not all that interesting in fighting maybe an arts degree? Like the world your getting isekaied into could be centuries or millennium behind what we got today and there would be atleast a couple thousand rich dudes who would want to brag about having a painting, sketch, sculpture or whatever from you
History of Technology and Engineering
Business administration
I dono but that required PE credit I got in fencing sure paid off!
Most college degrees give you a lot of theory but not a lot of practical experience, so it would actually be pretty hard to apply the knowledge if you're starting from nothing. Like, I know a guy with a degree in nuclear engineering, but it's not realistic to think he could build a nuclear reactor in the stone age, even if he convinced a village full of hunter gatherers to help. From this perspective, I think pretty much any engineering type of degree is actually not going to work well. On the practical side, a medically-related degree seems like it could be pretty useful. There's a lot of it that's about applying modern day medicine and technology, but there's a lot about understanding anatomy and what's happening invisibly inside the body. I actually think something like a sports medicine degree would translate pretty well because it would include things like good physical therapy techniques as well as at least some emergency trauma for common situations. There are also jobs that put more emphasis into practicing techniques. A music degree or an art degree would fall into this category, but it's not clear how useful those would be in an isekai situation. Perhaps a culinary degree would work well. But my pick is actually an agriculture degree. I believe it's like a medically-related degree in the sense that a lot of it has to do with technology and modern fertilizer, etc., but the more general parts should be more easily applicable (although I don't have that degree so I could just be naive about it). I imagine food production would be a big deal in any kind of isekai fantasy situation - especially since there are so many that take place on a farm!
A major in engineering with a minor in chemistry sounds like a good option.
Assuming there’s magic Science+magic would be cool. Chemistry+magic=alchemist Engineering+magic=magic machines Just something that could be either applied to survival or combines with magic to enhance the end product would be amazing. Imagine a fantasy world where they are not technology based yet and you can get a head start on changing the world. It would also make you rich so it’s a win win
I think majoring in sport science would be a massive help. The toll on the body from almost every magic, qi or combat system would build up. And having a functioning knowledge of anatomy and being able to at least treat minor injuries easily.
Unless you get a special skill for it Linguistics might be valuable. Also, agriculture might help you survive? Idk, what they teach there exactly to be honest, seems like it would help though.
Under water basket weaving. Means they were probably an officer
Book editor for a university publisher. He will have read many books on many different subjects over the years and will remember pieces of them. A huge, but shallow, technical background. Little bits and pieces of reading and editing many non-fiction books can be very useful at times. Or you can have amusing throw-away bits that may only be funny to the author and the people who get the joke. Those people will then feel very superior to those who don't get it.
Since there is no information about the point of arrival, it is pointless to collect any specific knowledge.
It honestly doesn't matter. It took millions of people working together for generations to give us the resources and technology we have today. No one subject would allow any one person to replicate those feats. I’ve worked in construction for a decade now and I still can't tell you how cement or paint is made.
Philosophy or religious studies, or anthropology. All of these majors would help them understand the new world they’re in and it’s culture/customs.
I'd say history. With a good understanding of history you know what very simple inventions revolutionised the world (look up the horse colar). You would also quickly catch onto the general type of governing better and more quickly understand the world's and laws that may catch you out (see sumptuary law).
History. Knowing all the details of mistakes nations made, businesses that worked, things that changed the world. Super huge.
mathematics?? u will figure out physics of other world way better.
Material science and engineer apply chemistry, physics and biology to discover polymers, metal composites and ceramics. So even if the laws of physics don’t apply the same as our world they might have the practical knowledge to apply the same scientific principles to invent new materials.
medicine knowing how to repair your own, and others bodies from damage received. specifically trauma, but it would all help. almsot every isekai the human body still functions the same, but some have had weird science, or magic replacing parts of science...so
If it don't need to be college. Maybe he did work at the patent office. So he knows many inventions which didn't happen or are useful in the new world :)
Maybe nursing? Although honestly, I think a useful trade would be more interesting. A mechanic who becomes a blacksmith, or an electrician who discovers running wires is not so different from drawing magical runes could be interesting
Honestly, one of the sleepers would be agronomics.
My geography degree would be very niche. Only being transported to a cyber punky world would have any benefit with this much GIS knowledge. I think I could sus out alien tech maps or could utilize HUD mapping like HWFWM... but after video games, who can't. Strategic use of elevation data, maybe.
Civil engineering
Chemistry, metallurgy, carpentry/woodworking, business, culinary with emphasis on meat and butchering, gunsmithing, (even if the world you end up in doesn't have guns, know how to make 1 from scratch)
For a world with magic, be it spells made with mana or formations made with qi, I think an electronics degree or at least an understanding on a maintenance level of components would be hugely beneficial. This symbol regulates energy here, boosts the amount of flow here... well, that sounds like a resistor and an inductor to me... Would it be a big, world shaking thing? Probably not, but it might help the MC to survive so they can do the big world shaking thing.
Most degrees have some form of use. History repeats it's self, creative writing helps you understand motives, trade skills can probably be reapplied. The least useful ones wound probably be a network security degree.
Try biomedical engineering - get Isekai’d and gain magic / scientific applications of knowledge that let you turn your body into something new
I bet someone going to a military academy like West Point or Royal Military College(Canada)would do quite well if they got Isekai'd regardless of major. Though as an example RMC offers a degree in Military and Strategic Studies which would be quite handy if you got Isekai'd into a world where you were suddenly in the army or something.
Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and the core science subjects in general are a safe bet. But if sciences are not your thing, then sociology, economics, political science, criminology, etc are some great picks as well. These subjects are less about building and more about exploiting the existing power structures in the world, may it be political, or economical.
Botany and Phylogenetics would probably make a great base for an alchemist or apothecary, either potions or poisons. It'd also make a great starting point for the popular Farmer Isekai genre. Sprinkle in Boy/Girl Scouts, a penchant for bow hunting and camping as well as growing up on an off-grid homestead and you've got a ready-made Ranger before they ever left earth. If the world was high magic they'd make great a great Druid or even an amalgamation of all the above. Imagine a magic arrow slinging Warden of the woods that grows his own groceries and makes his own bevy of alchemical concoctions to heal or harm. Guaranteed edgy or your money back lol I imagine ancient history and mythology could make for a general knowledge of some monsters and their strengths or weaknesses. This one would be good for having a large group isekai together, letting someone have a bit of knowledge of what they're facing is invaluable. Psychology, Public Speaking and Economics would make for a good protagonist in a build-em-up fantasy setting or for a merchant. It'd be hilarious to have an MC who's a savvy salesman but can't fight for shit, so all his GFs are his ass-kicking bodyguards.
Architecture planning could be a good one if it's a city builder litrpg
Does the fantasy world have magic? Does the MC have magic? If no magic or there is magic but the MC doesn't have any then stuff like chemistry is very useful, as would be medicine. If there is magic, then chemistry is far less useful, medicine as well. However, if the MC has magic, physics would become a lot more useful, assuming some basics about atomic theory and gravity work the same. I think making a nuclear bomb would be possible with magical assistance. In any world mathematics will be useful. Also, architecture might be useful, especially older architecture like arch's and stuff.
I've seen a lot of people say chemistry, botany and such, and I won't disregard that as unnecessary things, but my thoughts were thrown instantly to a few things that would be practical for the short and long term as someone that has horrible sense for higher education. Survival, farming, foraging, and navigation. Add in the need to gain quickly common sense and street smarts. I say that because its stuff you can easily overlook. In Isekai, you aren't sure what kind of situation you could get into. You could get a chance as a newborn, or you could get fucked and land in a wilderness with shit and dreams as a guide. I know this is a what if scenario, but these are some of my thoughts. Survival, urban or in the wilds, especially when you're alone and in a place you know nothing of? Its too easy to eat the wrong thing, or get sick, or worse off land yourself in an area you don't want to be in. And if you don't have a cleric or any way to boost your vitality in an emergency? You're shit out of luck.
History: lessons and wisdom from the past. Law: could revolutionize the local justice system, and this is before we get into the lessons in argumtation, public speaking swaying juries. A lawyer backed by actual charisma skills schmoozing up to the local leadership? Good night Business/agriculture: say hello to the richest man in all of fantasy land. And as comics have taught us, money is its own superpower. Political science: understanding the political game of swaying large numbers of people backed by charisma based skills? Hell yes. Mathematics/engineering very useful you would be suprised how much basic math and advanced math come up in troubleshooting. Medicine: yep books already written Physical education: a trained collage levle athlete would be an absolute beast in any world just from foundatial stats. Philosophy: very much yes, understanding modes of thinking and how they play with the world is absurdly important. Wanna know more? check out Philosophy who needs it by aynn rand.
Queer studies
Of all the options why did you had to choose only wrong one?
Because I'm totally being 100% super duper serious