This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
Back when I was a high school math geek, our math team would go to meets that occasionally had tables set up to encourage us to pursue various careers that would make use of our mad math skillz. The one such profession where the level of encouragement far outstripped our teenaged interest was the actuarial field. Indeed, more than the objective boringness of the field (to the extent that we had enough information to evaluate that) it may have been the vehement protests of how not-boring actuarial work and actuaries are (really!) that persuaded us that actuarial work was probably pretty boring.
Recently, I think I have hit upon something that might help actuaries turn this perception around. They need a superhero.
Seriously, if any comic book superhero of note had been an actuary as his cover job, actuarial work would have gotten an automatic boost in the estimation of teen geeks. Journalism? Cool, because that was Superman's day job. Millionaire-industrialist-playboy-philanthropist? Definitely an acceptable career path, since that was Batman's day job. Librarian? Cool not just because of the access to all those books and periodicals, but also because it was Batgirl's day job. High school student? Not cool, exactly, but more tolerable on account of being Spiderman's day job.
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Having a superhero who alternated nights of crime-fighting with days assessing risk would raise the esteem of actuarial science among high school mathletes.
There are details that would need to be worked out, of course.
The name for this superhero? Let's pencil in The Numerator. ("He always comes out on top!")
His origin story? Probably it would involve looking up from his calculations and crying, "Egad! Crime does pay!" After which, of course, he would dedicate himself to fighting that crime (else we're looking at the origin story of a supervillain).*
My guess is that The Numerator is going to be one of those superheros that relies on cool gadgets and knowledge rather than on actual superhuman strength or powers -- more like Batman than Spiderman. (Otherwise, we're looking at him getting his fingers caught in a radioactive adding machine, thereby ending up with the power to shoot calculator tape from his fingers, which ... I don't think so.) His utility belt probably includes actuarial tables and a slide-rule. But maybe he's also a synesthete who can look at the numbers and smell evil.
His nemeses? Undoubtedly they will be legion -- corporate crooks, purveyors of Ponzi schemes -- but one of them might be Pay-Day Shark. This supervillain, tricked out in a sharkskin suit, will be happy to give you an advance on your paycheck as long as you're ready to pay interest and fees that end up being about 400% of the amount you're borrowing. When you can't pay, he'll threaten you will his tank of hungry and ill-tempered (but not laser-sight-equipped) sharks. He may even let his pretties eat one of your limbs. But Pay-Day Shark wants to help you -- he'll loan you a prosthetic limb, for a reasonable fee.
Who can save you from his clutches? The Numerator!
DC Comics? Marvel Comics? American Academy of Actuaries? I think we have something here. Let's talk.
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*It possible that linking actuarial science with supervillainy might also make young geeks hold it in higher esteem. Maybe someone should perform a risk-benefit analysis of this ... but who?