Geniuses vs World Problems

I wanted to measure how smart you think the various techies/geniuses from both major companies are when put into the real world. Most of these guys could dramatically push forward the human race but they usually spend more time throwing punches than anything else. If they decided to stop bickering, who could make the biggest change in the world?

Competitors
Tony Stark
Reed Richards
Lex Luthor
Mr. Terrific
Hank Pym
Bruce Wayne

Resources
Small Office
Laptop
Internet
Open Source Software: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_software
USA's public database: http://www.data.gov/communities/
$20,000

Each of them is stripped of their resources and put into the real world. They are given a small office building, laptop computer, and a $20,000 grant. They are given a cheat sheet of open source technologies they may want to reference and can only use the data-sets provided by the United States of America. No hacking for private data a normal citizen would not be able to access.

Their task is to create software that utilizes the public datasets for the explicit purpose of running a business and improving the industry they choose ie: Health, Education, Energy, Safety (Crime), or Enterprise software. They spend 3 years utilizing that software in their business venture - the whole goal being to address one or more of these categories and making the most measurable difference.

Who makes the biggest difference in the real world and how do they do it?

I see the best choice, Victor von Doom, has been omitted. sneer

I think Tony would likely make the best changes due to his knowledge of politics, business, and science, and having been hands on for most of his career. I'd imagine he'd choose energy.

I'd say Reed, with his crazy 'I can predict human behaviour with this equation' feats.

I do think Reed is overall the smartest person here, but he's not all that adept when it comes to politics and business, which per this thread, are just as important as being book smart, imo.

To that end, I think Tony is the most well rounded.

True.

Toss up between him and Lex, actually. At this level, its like debating infinity and infinity-1.

Reed can already predict via an equation what people will do.

That alone gives him an edge and put him head and shoulders above his competitors.

Originally posted by Bouboumaster
Reed can already predict via an equation what people will do.

That alone gives him an edge and put him head and shoulders above his competitors.

He's not the only super genius to do that.

Originally posted by Golgo13
He's not the only super genius to do that.

Whatever, he's Reed Richards. He don't loose this contest.

LOL! You'll always say that, even though Reed is far from the only one who has created awesome tech.

You have an unshakable faith in the Archenemy of the world, Bouboumaster.

It's unsettling.

Originally posted by JakeTheBank
I think Tony would likely make the best changes due to his knowledge of politics, business, and science, and having been hands on for most of his career. I'd imagine he'd choose energy.

👆

I think Tony and Lex are probably the top contenders, IMO. I think Tony would gravitate towards energy software and Bruce would utilize the crime data somehow. I think Pym, Reed, Mr. Terrific might all do either health or education. Not sure about Lex.

Lex would cheat.

Originally posted by -Pr-
Lex would cheat.

He might. But the purpose is not to get rich, but to improve the world.

This all started with an idea I had for Iron Man. If I could have the licensing for him I have this really cool STEM education based idea.

Wondered just what could these fictional guys do in the real world.

Tony would supply free energy to the world.

Problem is whilst the people of the world would be warm this tech would also increase man's potential to kill one another.

Tony also seems a bit...naive to me. Lex would set about transforming the economy, and soon, it'll be a communist state, where everyone is equal!

Equally rich, that is.

The first thing they will all do is apply for the MacArthur Genius Grant and bump that money up to 500,000.

Originally posted by JakeTheBank
I do think Reed is overall the smartest person here, but he's not all that adept when it comes to politics and business, which per this thread, are just as important as being book smart, imo.

To that end, I think Tony is the most well rounded.

Anyways , as far as the thread goes , my vote goes to either Tony or Lex .

Originally posted by DarkSaint85
Tony also seems a bit...naive to me. Lex would set about transforming the economy, and soon, it'll be a communist state, where everyone is equal!

Equally rich, that is.

You can't be "rich" when you're all "equal". It's a relative term, requiring the existence of non-rich people to give it meaning.

Anyway, Communism would probably be the way they'd go. Central planning, peddling dreams to the dopes and dope to the disillusioned.

Marginalise the detractors and murder the alternative... Lots of PR about how effective and fair it all is. Then 10 years down the line, massive famine and death.

I think Tony Stark would definitely be a big proponent of central planning and large state programmes.

Banner would probably be the most useful of comic-book geniuses, he wouldn't come with any totalitarian baggage or any desires to control the world, he would advance the iPod significantly and provide personal teleportation devices for all. Oh as well as Old Power augmented shielding and strength.

Originally posted by Blair Wind

Also, he'd probably create programmes to teach children to programme in python and use Linux. So that would be a tremendous improvement for generations to come.

Tony might develop a kick-arse Desktop for FreeBSD though, which people would enjoy using (maybe also make a port for Linux too).

Lex Luthor is the most well rounded, IMO, followed by Tony.

I think all of these people could solve all of these problems pretty easily though. They're all dicks for not doing it already