4 ms·

The best parts of education is not primarily the material you remember. It's the effect on your thinking patterns as a result of studying and the familiarity wi

by jlos 5y ago

The best parts of education is not primarily the material you remember. It's the effect on your thinking patterns as a result of studying and the familiarity with a school of thought. For example, I studied Greek before software engineering. I've forgotten quite a bit, but theres an entirely different set of thought processes I have access to while doing software engineering because of it.

systemvoltage 5y ago
I’d say the best part of education is familiarizing yourself with the domain. You may forget the details but the familiarity and know how about what a Sobel edge filter is useful the next time you encounter such a thing in professional life. Analytical thinking and pattern recognition is indeed also a key benefit of education.
macromagnon 5y ago
Can you expand a bit on how Greek helps? Are you talking about Ancient Greek? I know a few latin derived languages but I never taught about the relation to computer languages.
- Cybotron5000 5y ago
  I’ve recently been trying to translate a book my dad wrote from modern (‘demotic’) Greek into English. It’s a very slow process for me, as English is my first language and my Greek is very poor. I have to constantly look up a lot of words and puzzle over some sentences repeatedly. I did notice though that Greek (or my dad at least) seems able to communicate ideas in very few words that when translated into English, as directly as I can manage, I find require longer and more ‘flowery’ sentences to achieve the same effect, at least with any degree of elegance or conventional tone. I’m not sure how much of that is due to his writing style (or mine! :) and surely it is a very qualitative, subjective impression, but it does seem to me that Greek is quite an ‘efficient’ language. I’m a terrible, entirely self-taught programmer/copy’n’paste script kiddy, but I would imagine that learning any new language helps with programming on some level (and perhaps maths/logic even more so?): dealing with different symbolic representations, grammars, alphabets, logographs etc. Here’s an article I found on the subject of formal grammars/Chomsky and their influence on computing: https://exaud.com/noam-chomsky-computer-science/ https://exaud.com/noam-chomsky-computer-science/
- jlos 5y ago
  Yes, ancient greek. And I think the connections are mostly indirect. In interpreting literature in another language (Latin, Greek, etc) you spend time analyzing syntax and grammar looking for the idea or intention. Programming is very different, but code does still express and idea or intention. Also, really helps with reading and written communication.
mxcrossr 5y ago
At least this is what I told the students when I was a TA for a class teaching prolog!
Supermancho 5y ago
> It's the effect on your thinking patterns as a result of studying I've heard this over and over again, but I don't believe there's a shred of evidence for it.
- TchoBeer 5y ago
  I see this type of like used to justify whatever it is the speaker enjoys being forced on everyone else. Something like "everyone should learn philosophy because it trains the mind" usually means "I like philosophy and wish it was taught more at schools".
  - read_if_gay_ 5y ago
    The statements you provided are obviously the same thing though, no?
    - imtringued 5y ago
      If you interpret "the mind" as "my mind" then yes, it can't be more obvious.
- ZephyrBlu 5y ago
  I strongly believe it's a rationalization for having to spend so much time studying.
  - imtringued 5y ago
    Pretty much. jlos is claiming that college educated people have a monopoly on certain thinking patterns, isn't that extremely elitist?
    - sgt101 5y ago
      I think it depends on what you think education is : if you believe that education is going to an elite university then I think it is elitist. If you think education is being exposed to a wide range of ideas and perspectives - a range beyond which you would have found by yourself - then I don't think it is. A kind Aunt with three bookshelves and an open mind can give you an education that you couldn't buy. Would that make you part of the elite? It would be difficult - it could take years - but it's not elitist.
mohanmca 5y ago
Thanks! I believe in it! We don't know what we don't know, if we learn only useful stuff!

by jlos 5y ago

systemvoltage 5y ago

I’d say the best part of education is familiarizing yourself with the domain. You may forget the details but the familiarity and know how about what a Sobel edge filter is useful the next time you encounter such a thing in professional life. Analytical thinking and pattern recognition is indeed also a key benefit of education.

macromagnon 5y ago

Can you expand a bit on how Greek helps? Are you talking about Ancient Greek? I know a few latin derived languages but I never taught about the relation to computer languages.

Cybotron5000 5y ago
I’ve recently been trying to translate a book my dad wrote from modern (‘demotic’) Greek into English. It’s a very slow process for me, as English is my first language and my Greek is very poor. I have to constantly look up a lot of words and puzzle over some sentences repeatedly. I did notice though that Greek (or my dad at least) seems able to communicate ideas in very few words that when translated into English, as directly as I can manage, I find require longer and more ‘flowery’ sentences to achieve the same effect, at least with any degree of elegance or conventional tone. I’m not sure how much of that is due to his writing style (or mine! :) and surely it is a very qualitative, subjective impression, but it does seem to me that Greek is quite an ‘efficient’ language. I’m a terrible, entirely self-taught programmer/copy’n’paste script kiddy, but I would imagine that learning any new language helps with programming on some level (and perhaps maths/logic even more so?): dealing with different symbolic representations, grammars, alphabets, logographs etc. Here’s an article I found on the subject of formal grammars/Chomsky and their influence on computing: https://exaud.com/noam-chomsky-computer-science/ https://exaud.com/noam-chomsky-computer-science/
jlos 5y ago
Yes, ancient greek. And I think the connections are mostly indirect. In interpreting literature in another language (Latin, Greek, etc) you spend time analyzing syntax and grammar looking for the idea or intention. Programming is very different, but code does still express and idea or intention. Also, really helps with reading and written communication.

mxcrossr 5y ago

At least this is what I told the students when I was a TA for a class teaching prolog!

Supermancho 5y ago

> It's the effect on your thinking patterns as a result of studying I've heard this over and over again, but I don't believe there's a shred of evidence for it.

TchoBeer 5y ago
I see this type of like used to justify whatever it is the speaker enjoys being forced on everyone else. Something like "everyone should learn philosophy because it trains the mind" usually means "I like philosophy and wish it was taught more at schools".
- read_if_gay_ 5y ago
  The statements you provided are obviously the same thing though, no?
  - imtringued 5y ago
    If you interpret "the mind" as "my mind" then yes, it can't be more obvious.
ZephyrBlu 5y ago
I strongly believe it's a rationalization for having to spend so much time studying.
- imtringued 5y ago
  Pretty much. jlos is claiming that college educated people have a monopoly on certain thinking patterns, isn't that extremely elitist?
  - sgt101 5y ago
    I think it depends on what you think education is : if you believe that education is going to an elite university then I think it is elitist. If you think education is being exposed to a wide range of ideas and perspectives - a range beyond which you would have found by yourself - then I don't think it is. A kind Aunt with three bookshelves and an open mind can give you an education that you couldn't buy. Would that make you part of the elite? It would be difficult - it could take years - but it's not elitist.

mohanmca 5y ago

Thanks! I believe in it! We don't know what we don't know, if we learn only useful stuff!