5 ms·

Ugh. Confirmation bias and sample size aside, these are MIT alumni. Aren't they already supposed to be above average? That being said, he didn't exactly sa

Ugh. Confirmation bias and sample size aside, these are MIT alumni. Aren't they already supposed to be above average? That being said, he didn't exactly say what sort of engineers these folks were. Electrical? Software? Big difference.. Also, one thing that didn't jive, if they are in financially uncomfortable retirement, why exactly are they showing up at a donors gathering?

neolefty 11y ago
> "why exactly are they showing up at a donors gathering?" Yes, this probably means the problem is even bigger than the sample demonstrates. Most of the people in uncomfortable retirement are not going to show up at all.
- ghaff 11y ago
  I wouldn't be that inclined to make assumptions about what sort of selection bias there was. I could also argue that people who show up at such gatherings are more likely to be people with time on their hands or who are making a concerted effort to network, while those who are working full-time are busier.
calinet6 11y ago
Alternatively, these are MIT people, so perhaps the problem is that their education and career are both overly specialized. Breadth would certainly be an asset to deal with change over a longer term. It's another great argument for a broad liberal arts education.
- darkmighty 11y ago
  I honestly don't think there are many jobs an experienced MIT engineer couldn't do that a liberal arts graduate could. I think the matter here is most old folks with an MIT degree with a comfortable financial position would rather be unemployed just managing investments and other activities than work a low paying job.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- brlewis 11y ago
  An MIT bachelor's degree includes a decent amount of liberal arts. The HASS requirement has been around for a long time -- 1980s? http://web.mit.edu/hassreq/ http://web.mit.edu/hassreq/
  - ghaff 11y ago
    I don't know when that particular name for it dates to, but some sort of liberal arts requirement has been around for even longer. To be sure, if you take the minimum and take courses that aren't really liberal arts (e.g. accounting or microeconomics), it's fairly minimal. But the opportunity is certainly there to get a fairly broad education.
    - madcaptenor 11y ago
      Feynman writes about having to satisfy a liberal arts requirement in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, so the requirement goes back at least to the late thirties.
      - mcguire 11y ago
        It's been a while since I read it, but I seem to recall his approach to it was what I assume to be the normal MIT student's: take the minimum he could get away with and complain about how useless it was. I could be misremembering, though, and that was written much later in his life.
        madcaptenor 11y ago
        You're pretty much right, according to: - this oral history: http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/5020_2.html http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/5020_2.html (search for "astronomy", which apparently was considered a humanities course!) - this transcription of the relevant section of Surely You're Joking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paranoid/Feynman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paranoid/Feynman
  - calinet6 11y ago
jmorrison 11y ago
As an MIT alum in my 50s, let me assure you that a specific fundraiser is assigned to target you, personally and individually. "Ugh," indeed.
- kelukelugames 11y ago
  MIT alum in my 30s. When to babes start throwing themselves ta me because of my degree? My parents promised me this would happen.
  - danielweber 11y ago
    If you want to win the lottery, first you have to buy a ticket.
  - gmarx 11y ago
    MIT alum in my 40s; never
  - aerolite 11y ago
    Caltech alum in my 30s, move to the Bay Area.
    - jedmeyers 11y ago
      What are you talking about? There are no babes in the Bay Area.
  - victorhn 11y ago
    You still have time to polish those social skills and up your "game".
- dang 11y ago
  > As an MIT alum in my 50s Well since we have a specimen handy, can we hear your take on the article? Does it match your observations?
  - jpmattia 11y ago

neolefty 11y ago

> "why exactly are they showing up at a donors gathering?" Yes, this probably means the problem is even bigger than the sample demonstrates. Most of the people in uncomfortable retirement are not going to show up at all.

ghaff 11y ago
I wouldn't be that inclined to make assumptions about what sort of selection bias there was. I could also argue that people who show up at such gatherings are more likely to be people with time on their hands or who are making a concerted effort to network, while those who are working full-time are busier.

calinet6 11y ago

Alternatively, these are MIT people, so perhaps the problem is that their education and career are both overly specialized. Breadth would certainly be an asset to deal with change over a longer term. It's another great argument for a broad liberal arts education.

darkmighty 11y ago
I honestly don't think there are many jobs an experienced MIT engineer couldn't do that a liberal arts graduate could. I think the matter here is most old folks with an MIT degree with a comfortable financial position would rather be unemployed just managing investments and other activities than work a low paying job.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
brlewis 11y ago
An MIT bachelor's degree includes a decent amount of liberal arts. The HASS requirement has been around for a long time -- 1980s? http://web.mit.edu/hassreq/ http://web.mit.edu/hassreq/
- ghaff 11y ago
  I don't know when that particular name for it dates to, but some sort of liberal arts requirement has been around for even longer. To be sure, if you take the minimum and take courses that aren't really liberal arts (e.g. accounting or microeconomics), it's fairly minimal. But the opportunity is certainly there to get a fairly broad education.
  - madcaptenor 11y ago
    Feynman writes about having to satisfy a liberal arts requirement in Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman, so the requirement goes back at least to the late thirties.
    - mcguire 11y ago
      It's been a while since I read it, but I seem to recall his approach to it was what I assume to be the normal MIT student's: take the minimum he could get away with and complain about how useless it was. I could be misremembering, though, and that was written much later in his life.
      - madcaptenor 11y ago
        You're pretty much right, according to: - this oral history: http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/5020_2.html http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/5020_2.html (search for "astronomy", which apparently was considered a humanities course!) - this transcription of the relevant section of Surely You're Joking: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paranoid/Feynman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Paranoid/Feynman
- calinet6 11y ago

jmorrison 11y ago

As an MIT alum in my 50s, let me assure you that a specific fundraiser is assigned to target you, personally and individually. "Ugh," indeed.

kelukelugames 11y ago
MIT alum in my 30s. When to babes start throwing themselves ta me because of my degree? My parents promised me this would happen.
- danielweber 11y ago
  If you want to win the lottery, first you have to buy a ticket.
- gmarx 11y ago
  MIT alum in my 40s; never
- aerolite 11y ago
  Caltech alum in my 30s, move to the Bay Area.
  - jedmeyers 11y ago
    What are you talking about? There are no babes in the Bay Area.
- victorhn 11y ago
  You still have time to polish those social skills and up your "game".
dang 11y ago
> As an MIT alum in my 50s Well since we have a specimen handy, can we hear your take on the article? Does it match your observations?
- jpmattia 11y ago