As the social sciences became increasingly intertwined with neuroscience, and thus increasingly codified, people began to use them in a practical, professional manner. Marketers, anthropologists, sociologists, salesmen, linguists, actuaries, physicians, public health professionals, teachers, activists, politicians – anyone that had to deal with the public en masse on a regular basis, and/or shape public opinion, plus the merely curious and those desiring to be better at working with others. Before long, professional societies formed and over the millennia the Interstellar Institute Social Engineers, Sociologists and Public Speakers (IISESPS, or Social Engineers for short) is the result.
The typical Social Engineer is bright, inquisitive and so smooth that tar wouldn't stick to him or her. Some come to the Social Engineers this way. And if they aren't when they join, the training classes and apprenticeship programs quickly make them more like that stereotype. Because of their interests, they have refined teaching techniques for metatechnology very, very well (they even have several schools and a dynamic Infosphere learning program). Social Engineers can be found in all civilizations save the Cargo Cults and Old Worlders.
Benefit: Social Engineers have minimum Metatech and Cognitech scores of 4, which can raise them above their civilization’s maximum if necessary, and their Metatech is considered one point higher for the purpose of persuading others and for Memetic defense. They can exceed their civilization’s maximum Cognitech and Metatech by one without suffering Plot Score reduction.
Core Value: Metatechnology over all – that Metatechnology is the key to understanding humans and interacting with them.
