4 ms·

I've seen plenty of computer science students who struggle with math, and even among those who the number who understand statistics is embarrassingly small. Mea

by tensor 9y ago

I've seen plenty of computer science students who struggle with math, and even among those who the number who understand statistics is embarrassingly small. Meanwhile, here on HN you have dozens of "computer engineers" arguing that the maths and theory in their own field isn't important. I wouldn't be so quick to pull generalizations about what disciplines have better scientists.

detaro 9y ago
Big part seems to be that statistics often isn't properly taught to students, which then muddle through it when writing papers.
golemiprague 9y ago
It's not important for a lot of programming jobs but is important for research, same in psychology, it is not important for being a therapist in most cases but is important to doing research. I had to develop some simulation for psychology research, it is not only that a lot of them don't know statistics, it is also the way they collect data and interpret it, it is simply not scientific in the most basic common sense of the word scientific. Nobody manage to repeat or recreate those "researches", not that anybody is trying. Those "sciences" are one big joke especially because they are so feminised that there are not enough people there with basic logic capabilities, innovation or creativity. Good luck finding the next Freud or Jung, it will be as hard as finding any important open source project created by a woman. They should incentivised men to leave STEM and go to psychology if they want this science to move forward in any way.
ramblerman 9y ago
You are conflating research with practice. Most computer engineers are programming and can get away with not being up to speed with calculus/stats. As can most practicing psychologists (to a much greater degree). Phd computer scientists doing research are typically not 'weak' at maths.

4 ms·

I've seen plenty of computer science students who struggle with math, and even among those who the number who understand statistics is embarrassingly small. Mea

by tensor 9y ago

detaro 9y ago
Big part seems to be that statistics often isn't properly taught to students, which then muddle through it when writing papers.
golemiprague 9y ago
It's not important for a lot of programming jobs but is important for research, same in psychology, it is not important for being a therapist in most cases but is important to doing research. I had to develop some simulation for psychology research, it is not only that a lot of them don't know statistics, it is also the way they collect data and interpret it, it is simply not scientific in the most basic common sense of the word scientific. Nobody manage to repeat or recreate those "researches", not that anybody is trying. Those "sciences" are one big joke especially because they are so feminised that there are not enough people there with basic logic capabilities, innovation or creativity. Good luck finding the next Freud or Jung, it will be as hard as finding any important open source project created by a woman. They should incentivised men to leave STEM and go to psychology if they want this science to move forward in any way.
ramblerman 9y ago
You are conflating research with practice. Most computer engineers are programming and can get away with not being up to speed with calculus/stats. As can most practicing psychologists (to a much greater degree). Phd computer scientists doing research are typically not 'weak' at maths.