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My opinion: We can't have enough S&E people: Every scientist who discovers a new class of drugs requires ten* more to study all the derivatives. Every engine

by coryrc 18y ago

My opinion: We can't have enough S&E people: Every scientist who discovers a new class of drugs requires ten* more to study all the derivatives. Every engineer who creates a new machine allows ten* more to build machines that use this machine. S&E create wealth. The other top-paying degrees -- law, business -- don't create wealth. They may allow the S&E to more efficiently create wealth, but they don't create wealth. *Number made up, but it is certainly greater than zero

corentin 18y ago
> The other top-paying degrees -- law, business -- don't create wealth. They may allow the S&E to more efficiently create wealth, but they don't create wealth. Hence they create this difference in wealth...
yummyfajitas 18y ago
And a business guy who who handles the business end allows ten more engineers to build useful machines. A natural extension of your logic: GvR or Stallman may allow S&E people to more efficiently create wealth, but he doesn't create wealth himself (Python, Emacs, etc are only tools to create other stuff) The ability to create wealth is, itself, wealth.
- coryrc 18y ago
  This topic is disappearing, but I'd still like to address your point. Wealth def. 3b: anything that has utility and is capable of being appropriated or exchanged. Python and emacs fit the definition, but making decisions in a company produces nothing that can be "appropriated or exchanged". Python and emacs are wealth just as much as a screwdriver and hammer are. Also, if 100% of people functioned as scientists or engineers, things (wealth) would still be made. Money is just a claim against the wealth of the nation; just because you can earn more money doesn't mean you've increased the collective wealth.
gnomic_conic 18y ago
Every businessman with an idea for an invention requires ten* engineers to slave away on the implementation while he takes most of the profits *Number made up, but one should always remember that it's not only scientists and engineers that are coming up with ways to make our lives better and create wealth
Prrometheus 18y ago
>The other top-paying degrees -- law, business -- don't create wealth. Unless you mass produce it and ship it to Wal-mart, all the good ideas in the world stay sitting on some university book shelf.

by coryrc 18y ago

corentin 18y ago

> The other top-paying degrees -- law, business -- don't create wealth. They may allow the S&E to more efficiently create wealth, but they don't create wealth. Hence they create this difference in wealth...

yummyfajitas 18y ago

And a business guy who who handles the business end allows ten more engineers to build useful machines. A natural extension of your logic: GvR or Stallman may allow S&E people to more efficiently create wealth, but he doesn't create wealth himself (Python, Emacs, etc are only tools to create other stuff) The ability to create wealth is, itself, wealth.

coryrc 18y ago
This topic is disappearing, but I'd still like to address your point. Wealth def. 3b: anything that has utility and is capable of being appropriated or exchanged. Python and emacs fit the definition, but making decisions in a company produces nothing that can be "appropriated or exchanged". Python and emacs are wealth just as much as a screwdriver and hammer are. Also, if 100% of people functioned as scientists or engineers, things (wealth) would still be made. Money is just a claim against the wealth of the nation; just because you can earn more money doesn't mean you've increased the collective wealth.

gnomic_conic 18y ago

Every businessman with an idea for an invention requires ten* engineers to slave away on the implementation while he takes most of the profits *Number made up, but one should always remember that it's not only scientists and engineers that are coming up with ways to make our lives better and create wealth

Prrometheus 18y ago

>The other top-paying degrees -- law, business -- don't create wealth. Unless you mass produce it and ship it to Wal-mart, all the good ideas in the world stay sitting on some university book shelf.