4 ms·
One of his points was that it is extremely hard to predict where the next boom in the greater STEM field will be. Several years ago, internet boomed, then bust,
by ffn 13y ago
One of his points was that it is extremely hard to predict where the next boom in the greater STEM field will be. Several years ago, internet boomed, then bust, then boomed again. Meanwhile, petro rose while aerospace fell... It's precisely the point that, because STEM skills cannot cross fields (you try getting a rocket scientist to build you a photo-sharing app) that leads to moments of massive oversupply, then terrible shortage, and then massive oversupply again.
- tomjen3 13y agoProgrammers can cross fields, as can most enginners.
- WalterBright 13y agoCannot cross fields? My major was Me/Ae, took no CS courses, worked for Boeing designing airplane gearboxes and hydraulic systems, and yet I had no trouble transitioning to a CS career. When I took mechanics/fluids/electronics/materials classes, I discovered that the math was all the same, except that the EEs liked to use 'j' instead of 'i'.
- lutusp 13y agoThis speaks to how quickly what we're taught in school goes out of date. You were able to transition to CS, compete with same-age CS graduates, because much of what they were taught in school had become obsolete, while what you learned on the job became more and more valuable and relevant. > ... except that the EEs liked to use 'j' instead of 'i'. And that only because of the coincidence that 'i' refers to current in electrical equations. It also addresses the issue that, with respect to getting useful results from a computer, one's mathematical knowledge and ability is now more important than one's knowledge of a computer's inner workings.
- bayesianhorse 13y agoThe subject matter becomes obsolete, but the mental processes and skills stay relevant. Too much of education is aimed and evaluated for data storage rather than brain training.
- lutusp 13y agoVery true. Americans are taught what to think, not how to think.
- bayesianhorse 13y agoIn other countries it's worse rather than better. China comes to mind. In Germany I'm not hearing a lot of "mind training matters" noise out of education either.
- lutusp 13y ago> In other countries it's worse rather than better. China comes to mind. Yes, or Japan, where being different or standing out in any way is seen as the height of rudeness. Sumimasen, arigatōgozaimashita I guess we have to face the fact that the ability to think for oneself, and think critically, is rather unpopular, with rare exception.
- WalterBright 13y agoI was very fortunate to attend Caltech, where the focus was on how.