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Maybe today's emphasis on "well rounded" education is a distraction from specialized talents.

by ufocia 3y ago

The_Colonel 3y ago
Specializing is actually the "easier" path, and thus there isn't a lot of low hanging fruit anymore. There are more opportunities in the intersections of different fields (areas of mathematics).
chongli 3y ago
Euler did his master’s dissertation on the philosophies of Descartes and Newton. He then joined the faculty at University of Basel in theology. I think this is ample evidence that he received a well-rounded education.
- jacobolus 3y ago
  Not to mention his day job for a while as the chief cartographer in the Russian Empire.
jterrys 3y ago
Absolutely HARD disagree. Pythagoras, Aristotle, Pascal, Descartes, Newton, Franklin, DaVinci, (just to name a few) were all polymaths. They all left lasting impacts outside of a singular domain. It's because they were such well rounded individuals that they were so successful and capable of revolutionary discoveries and inventions. Our world is made up of models that are related with other models that are related based off of that relatedness. It's maddening. Being "well rounded" is vital. Today that concept is watered down. A "well rounded" education is just taking a few classes that people hate and will blow off because to graduate they need to check some boxes so they can focus on doing one thing moderately well and finding their place as a cog in a machine that will abuse their ignorance. It's all mass produced conveyor belt education that manufactures young adults with little conventional wisdom. The more you lean into behaving like a part, the more you will be treated that way.
- peterfirefly 3y ago
  They didn't have to waste much time going to school -- and certainly not going to school with average people. That makes it a lot easier to get a good, well-rounded education -- if you are bright enough!
Duanemclemore 3y ago
Euler was nothing if not diverse. Having a "liberal arts" / "great books" education from high school I have (anecdotal) first hand evidence in the impressive successes of my classmates in a WIDE variety of fields.
mhh__ 3y ago
It's more that mathematics is solely consumed inside "mathematics for engineering 101" spread across N years.

Maybe today's emphasis on "well rounded" education is a distraction from specialized talents.

by ufocia 3y ago

Maybe today's emphasis on "well rounded" education is a distraction from specialized talents.

Specializing is actually the "easier" path, and thus there isn't a lot of low hanging fruit anymore. There are more opportunities in the intersections of different fields (areas of mathematics).

chongli 3y ago

Euler did his master’s dissertation on the philosophies of Descartes and Newton. He then joined the faculty at University of Basel in theology. I think this is ample evidence that he received a well-rounded education.

jacobolus 3y ago
Not to mention his day job for a while as the chief cartographer in the Russian Empire.

jterrys 3y ago

Absolutely HARD disagree. Pythagoras, Aristotle, Pascal, Descartes, Newton, Franklin, DaVinci, (just to name a few) were all polymaths. They all left lasting impacts outside of a singular domain. It's because they were such well rounded individuals that they were so successful and capable of revolutionary discoveries and inventions. Our world is made up of models that are related with other models that are related based off of that relatedness. It's maddening. Being "well rounded" is vital. Today that concept is watered down. A "well rounded" education is just taking a few classes that people hate and will blow off because to graduate they need to check some boxes so they can focus on doing one thing moderately well and finding their place as a cog in a machine that will abuse their ignorance. It's all mass produced conveyor belt education that manufactures young adults with little conventional wisdom. The more you lean into behaving like a part, the more you will be treated that way.

peterfirefly 3y ago
They didn't have to waste much time going to school -- and certainly not going to school with average people. That makes it a lot easier to get a good, well-rounded education -- if you are bright enough!

Duanemclemore 3y ago

Euler was nothing if not diverse. Having a "liberal arts" / "great books" education from high school I have (anecdotal) first hand evidence in the impressive successes of my classmates in a WIDE variety of fields.

mhh__ 3y ago

It's more that mathematics is solely consumed inside "mathematics for engineering 101" spread across N years.