5 ms·

I've only seen the introduction video. The video's claim is that we get bored because we have very specialized work. And it contrasts with the wonderful life w

• rajanaresh 15y ago
  While I agree with most of what you say you really can take away something from the video. When I was growing up I always had questions about how everything I was learning had any relation with all the amazing things (sending rockets, experiments in science museums etc.) the world was doing. Needless to say I thought I would understand in higher grades and after high school I thought may be I can connect the dots in college. It did help in college but some of the little things I still connect. I have a degree in CS and I am pursuing my masters now. It's amazing how even now I connect those little dots and get my aha moments. What is surprising is that I’ve come to realize that with a little help I could've made such simple connections even when I was 10 (when I first learnt the concept of Light) or in high school (when Bayes theorem was nothing but a magical formula) rather I was shunned by saying “you have a long way to go”. I always wished someone saw the passion I had for solving geometric problems (i was helping higher grade students solve cirlces theorems when I was 12) and gave me a direction. Heck I bumped into Euclid’s Elements like a year ago. In fact, I remember people suggesting me to leave geometry coz it’s useless. Everything starting from computational geometry, probability to number theory I do today is aided by those geometrical figures I played with. I really got carried away there, but coming back to the video, I think the video captures one of the essential elements of education which is to make that connection from time to time with simple examples. It all boils down to people who can do that, who has a liking to the workings of all things around them, who have open and inquisitive mind, who likes to see students realize those aha moments, who are true teachers.
  • tutysara 15y ago
    Nice summary of the present education system in many places and why it needs a change. This is exactly the situation in many schools/colleges, they have turned it into a business. Students are not given much scope to expand their knowledge, they are seen as just scoring machines. I am going a bit tangential - some colleges even employ their previous batch passed outs who couldn't get into industry due to poor performance as teachers, the reasons are obvious. Certainly we need a change.
• hessenwolf 15y ago
  "The video's claim is that we get bored because we have very specialized work. And it contrasts with the wonderful life we had 300 years ago when we lived in tiny communities doing non-specialized work." Isn't this Marx's 'alienation' argument pro-Communism? I forget - how did that work out for them? I also think 300 years ago sounds crap from what I have heard, and my specialised job is kinda fun.
  • mazuhl 15y ago
    They never really solved the 'alienation' problem. Nothing changed about people's jobs, they were just working in the factory for 'The Good of the People' rather than 'Faceless MegaCorp'. Where I work (medium-sized mail-order clothing company) almost all roles would be better if they were balanced job complexes[1]. People packing orders would benefit from dealing with customers directly, customer services would benefit from actually shipping orders, designers would benefit from seeing feedback from customers directly, etc. Giving people a larger view of the business would benefit the company and those employees (most efficiency/service breakthroughs have come someone changing teams). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_job_complex http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balanced_job_complex