It's true that an individual isn't going to invent A* on the spot. They learn how to use it. An individual isn't going to invent a VCS either. They learn how t

It's true that an individual isn't going to invent A* on the spot. They learn how to use it. An individual isn't going to invent a VCS either. They learn how to use it. I'm not seeing the difference here. If somebody needs to use A* search, it's entirely plausible they just pick it up in a couple days on their own without spending 4 years studying a CS degree. In a sense most knowledge these days are just a youtube video away. To be fair the world has changed so much in the past ~30 years that I think in general universities should be thinking long and hard what their position in society ought to be going forward. They can't gatekeep knowledge any more, and word has gone out that degrees don't imply employability. Lots of people believe universities are required to learn theoretical knowledge, but I don't see what's special about those over trade skills (other than universities' traditional gatekeeping roles). I'm pretty sure college degrees did open up a lot of doors in the past than today though. A simple matter of supply and demand I guess.