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> I’ve seen repeatedly that it’s much harder for a ML PhD to learn chemistry than for a chemist to learn ML I can confirm. We regularly look for people to writ
by kergonath 4y ago
> I’ve seen repeatedly that it’s much harder for a ML PhD to learn chemistry than for a chemist to learn ML
I can confirm. We regularly look for people to write some computational physics code, and recently for people using ML to solve solid state physics problems. It’s way easier to bring a good physicist or chemist to a decent CS level (either ML or HPC) than the other way around.
- hgsgm 4y agoThis is because software developers are too good at automation themselves out of a job.
- MichaelZuo 4y agoIt's also because nobody goes to get a phd in solid state physics for the money or career prospects, at least not in the last decade. So it's a small and self selected group.
- kergonath 4y agoWe love automation. There is just too much to do, and the field is unbounded. More automation means more papers and more interesting science.
- epolanski 4y agoIt's the same reason analysts come from math rather than economy degrees. You can teach a mathematician what he needs to know about finance, you can hardly do the opposite.
- cauthon 4y agoThat’s the opposite of what OP is observing. It’s easier to teach a domain expert “good enough” quantitative and technical skills than to teach a pure quant “good enough” domain expertise (and the corresponding intuition)
- sulam 4y agoI think you’re reading this backwards, or perhaps it was edited? Mathematics is surely the more pure discipline compared with economics, so physics : CS :: mathematics : finance is the right ordering.
- marcosdumay 4y agoYou just decided that one of those expertises is the "domain" while the other is not. There's no reason at all to pick one of them.
- pyrale 4y agoand it's easier yet to find one of each that are willing to collaborate.
- throwaway2037 4y agoIn my experience, people with degrees in math, physics, chemistry, biology/medicine, astronomy, computer science have higher/stronger intellectual rigor that can be re-applied to other fields, e.g., finance. Also, those areas of study are much harder than economics. Partly, it is a self-selection process. Yes, there are some with economics degrees whom are very bright, but they probably could have majored in any of the sciences mentioned earlier.
- mirker 4y agoThe story I’ve heard is the economics undergrads can’t get into economics grad school. This is just a rumor but the sentiment is that undergrads get taught a watered down version of economics theory. Economics theory is potentially very technical and includes game theory and proofs. Even in CS, undergrads take intro theory courses and “bottom out” in their math skills, even though grad-level CS gets much more difficult. Therefore, I’d imagine the primary determinant of this rigor phenomenon is the GPA inflation of the major.
- aer_aea 4y agoThis is somewhat true - economics undergrads do get into grad school, though math+econ or an econ degree with lots of math is better. You can just the check the difference between the textbooks for undergrad and graduate economics, eg Principles of Economics by Mankiw (undergrad) and Mas Collel (grad).
- selimthegrim 4y agoWhat sort of problems are you trying to solve?
- kergonath 4y agoLots of things, but mostly things like designing software architectures for massively parallel codes implementing fancy physics or coming up with ML models to predict complicated properties (things like wear, radiation, or corrosion resistance for which we just do not have any comprehensive model) or explore humongous problem spaces (things like predicting simple properties of very complex materials with 5 to 8 elements and complex microstructures like superalloys). Neither the Physics nor the CS are cutting edge (that’s why we do not necessarily reject people with limited experience in Physics, though they need to show motivation and abilities to learn); what is is the combination of both. We’d like to be as close to the cutting edge on ML as possible, though, because it’s a significant competitive advantage to be able to use fancy new techniques before our friendly competitors. But as I said it seems to be easier to train a Physics or Chemistry undergrad to get some feeling about how ML works than to train a CS undergrad to have some intuition about the Physics. And intuition is critical to detect when models hallucinate and get off the rails.
- selimthegrim 4y agoHa well if you’re looking for a solid state physics PhD I’m on the market ;)
- kergonath 4y agoNot right now, unfortunately. Where are you located? We can discuss if you need any advice (username at me.com).
- selimthegrim 4y agoNew Orleans, Louisiana.