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In a world where emotionally charged lies generate higher profits than the truth, objective sciences like math are clearly appearing less and less useful. I me

In a world where emotionally charged lies generate higher profits than the truth, objective sciences like math are clearly appearing less and less useful. I mean I like math. But if I had to choose between "how to get 1 mio followers on tiktok" and "how to calculate the differential of log(x)", I'd still consider the first course to have a higher roi... Attention is easy to convert into money in today's economy. Math skills, less so.

morelisp 4y ago
While it's surely emotionally satisfying in the short term to blame it on people primarily seeking short-term emotional satisfaction, I think there are some easy candidates for more proximate and parsimonious explanations like nobody being in school reliably for >2 years.
smt88 4y ago
I'm not sure what you're on your soapbox about, but this decline is probably due to the enormous disruption in children's education caused by the Covid pandemic. The report even compares pre- and post-Covid achievement rates.
- whoooooo123 4y ago
  > this decline is probably due to the enormous disruption in children's education caused by Covid lockdowns. FTFY
  - smt88 4y ago
    A distinction without a difference. Many parents were keeping children out of school regardless of lockdowns, so it wasn't only lockdowns that contributed.
mach1ne 4y ago
Given the number of slots available for 1 mil tiktok follower influencers versus those which require to calculate the differential of log(x), multiplied by resulting lifetime earnings, I differ with you and estimate that the latter's roi is actually higher.
cm2187 4y ago
That couldn't be more false. A STEM degree will almost certainly land you a well paid job. Any other degree or no degree, not so much. As for your chance to get rich on tik tok, that's winning the lottery probabilities.
weinzierl 4y ago
> "Attention is easy to convert into money in today's economy. Math skills, less so." This is an interesting point. I have no hard-facts based counter-argument to offer, so it might be true but I have my doubts. I believe that in the attention economy only the most popular of the popular are doing well and only a tiny fraction of them does extremely well. If you are good at math you can certainly have a good life without being in the top percentile. Also money is trivially convertible into attention, the other way around is hard work.
eesmith 4y ago
‘I have a million TikTok followers and only make €50′ (per month) - https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-10-22/i-have-a-million-tiktok-followers-and-only-make-50.html https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-10-22/i-have-a-... "In a good month, I can make €50 or €100,” [Patica] says".
adamsmith143 4y ago
>objective sciences like math are clearly appearing less and less useful. Literally could not be more wrong. >I'd still consider the first course to have a higher roi... Even knowing in theory how to get 1M followers, luck plays a massive role and you might as well be playing the lottery. So I'm not sure you've really "done the math" on your position here. >Attention is easy to convert into money in today's economy. Math skills, less so. On a website full of SWE's largely making well over 6 figures per year I find this take to be truly laughable...
confidantlake 4y ago
I have my doubts. The number of people earning 6 figures programming dwarfs the number of tick tockers making 6 figures.

morelisp 4y ago

While it's surely emotionally satisfying in the short term to blame it on people primarily seeking short-term emotional satisfaction, I think there are some easy candidates for more proximate and parsimonious explanations like nobody being in school reliably for >2 years.

smt88 4y ago

I'm not sure what you're on your soapbox about, but this decline is probably due to the enormous disruption in children's education caused by the Covid pandemic. The report even compares pre- and post-Covid achievement rates.

whoooooo123 4y ago
> this decline is probably due to the enormous disruption in children's education caused by Covid lockdowns. FTFY
- smt88 4y ago
  A distinction without a difference. Many parents were keeping children out of school regardless of lockdowns, so it wasn't only lockdowns that contributed.

mach1ne 4y ago

Given the number of slots available for 1 mil tiktok follower influencers versus those which require to calculate the differential of log(x), multiplied by resulting lifetime earnings, I differ with you and estimate that the latter's roi is actually higher.

cm2187 4y ago

That couldn't be more false. A STEM degree will almost certainly land you a well paid job. Any other degree or no degree, not so much. As for your chance to get rich on tik tok, that's winning the lottery probabilities.

weinzierl 4y ago

> "Attention is easy to convert into money in today's economy. Math skills, less so." This is an interesting point. I have no hard-facts based counter-argument to offer, so it might be true but I have my doubts. I believe that in the attention economy only the most popular of the popular are doing well and only a tiny fraction of them does extremely well. If you are good at math you can certainly have a good life without being in the top percentile. Also money is trivially convertible into attention, the other way around is hard work.

eesmith 4y ago

‘I have a million TikTok followers and only make €50′ (per month) - https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-10-22/i-have-a-million-tiktok-followers-and-only-make-50.html https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2022-10-22/i-have-a-... "In a good month, I can make €50 or €100,” [Patica] says".

adamsmith143 4y ago

>objective sciences like math are clearly appearing less and less useful. Literally could not be more wrong. >I'd still consider the first course to have a higher roi... Even knowing in theory how to get 1M followers, luck plays a massive role and you might as well be playing the lottery. So I'm not sure you've really "done the math" on your position here. >Attention is easy to convert into money in today's economy. Math skills, less so. On a website full of SWE's largely making well over 6 figures per year I find this take to be truly laughable...

confidantlake 4y ago

I have my doubts. The number of people earning 6 figures programming dwarfs the number of tick tockers making 6 figures.