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There is a broader underlying thing going on here: Japan has removed all humanities at their universities. There are only 4 interesting fundamental categories

by bullen 6y ago

There is a broader underlying thing going on here: Japan has removed all humanities at their universities. There are only 4 interesting fundamental categories of knowledge: Math, Physics, Chemistry and Biology; everything else is made up by man from nothing and it will return to nothing after all surplus energy (that gave humans the possibility to dream up all that crap in the first place) is consumed! Hang on to your knowledge of nature people; because this society is going Kansas.

phkahler 6y ago
>> Hang on to your knowledge of nature people; because this society is going kansas. To make predictions about society dont you need an understanding of... I dunno. Sociology, Psychology, Politics, Finance, or maybe History? I dont remember societal forecasting in my STEM classes. Not meant as a roast, just a mild reminder that the dominant force on earth is people.
- MiroF 6y ago
  I don't think that social scientists have a particular strong track record with forward predictions and it is impossible to distinguish those who do from those who don't.
  - apotheon 6y ago
    . . . and yet, if you wanted to improve your ability to make such predictions about society, social sciences would be a better bet than chemistry. Prediction, absent supernatural aid, requires understanding.
- apotheon 6y ago
  Finance? WTF? I'm guessing you had one of those "what's the word, uh . . . not finance, but that'll do" moments. We all have those. Just to ensure we're all clear here, though: Finance is about navigating the particular niceties of dealing with money as a professional, and maybe a little bit of trend-misprediction for the sake of occasionally getting to be a "rainmaker" for some employer. I think you mean economics, which is about the movements of economic agents and of whole economies. Economics is a "social" science (ignoring for the moment the fact that some economists aren't very scientific), and finance is a (highly lucrative) job field.
FlyMoreRockets 6y ago
> Hang on to your knowledge of nature people; because this society is going Kansas. I don't understand. Hasn't Kansas generally turned away from science and toward religion?
- I-M-S 6y ago
  I believe OP was trying to riff off the famous line from the Wizard of Oz, but muddled the delivery. Perhaps he put too much focus on STEM in his education.
  - apotheon 6y ago
    That's an interesting interpretations. I was under the impression the Kansas reference was basically an insult both to the direction of society and Kansas, but then I wasn't sure how that fit in with the claims about what sciences are useful or "real". Yours might make more sense. Then again, I'm not sure sense is what was being made, there, anyway.
    - FlyMoreRockets 6y ago
      > I was under the impression the Kansas reference was basically an insult both to the direction of society and Kansas... Okay, that makes perfect sense. Thank you.
j7ake 6y ago
I think you have a misunderstanding of what mathematics is. Mathematics is the field that is as removed from reality as possible.

by bullen 6y ago

phkahler 6y ago

>> Hang on to your knowledge of nature people; because this society is going kansas. To make predictions about society dont you need an understanding of... I dunno. Sociology, Psychology, Politics, Finance, or maybe History? I dont remember societal forecasting in my STEM classes. Not meant as a roast, just a mild reminder that the dominant force on earth is people.

MiroF 6y ago
I don't think that social scientists have a particular strong track record with forward predictions and it is impossible to distinguish those who do from those who don't.
- apotheon 6y ago
  . . . and yet, if you wanted to improve your ability to make such predictions about society, social sciences would be a better bet than chemistry. Prediction, absent supernatural aid, requires understanding.
apotheon 6y ago
Finance? WTF? I'm guessing you had one of those "what's the word, uh . . . not finance, but that'll do" moments. We all have those. Just to ensure we're all clear here, though: Finance is about navigating the particular niceties of dealing with money as a professional, and maybe a little bit of trend-misprediction for the sake of occasionally getting to be a "rainmaker" for some employer. I think you mean economics, which is about the movements of economic agents and of whole economies. Economics is a "social" science (ignoring for the moment the fact that some economists aren't very scientific), and finance is a (highly lucrative) job field.

FlyMoreRockets 6y ago

> Hang on to your knowledge of nature people; because this society is going Kansas. I don't understand. Hasn't Kansas generally turned away from science and toward religion?

I-M-S 6y ago
I believe OP was trying to riff off the famous line from the Wizard of Oz, but muddled the delivery. Perhaps he put too much focus on STEM in his education.
- apotheon 6y ago
  That's an interesting interpretations. I was under the impression the Kansas reference was basically an insult both to the direction of society and Kansas, but then I wasn't sure how that fit in with the claims about what sciences are useful or "real". Yours might make more sense. Then again, I'm not sure sense is what was being made, there, anyway.
  - FlyMoreRockets 6y ago
    > I was under the impression the Kansas reference was basically an insult both to the direction of society and Kansas... Okay, that makes perfect sense. Thank you.

j7ake 6y ago

I think you have a misunderstanding of what mathematics is. Mathematics is the field that is as removed from reality as possible.