"zeb haradon" <zebharadon@hotmail.com> writes:
> >now, I've been thinking of leaving my studies of Philosophy and Psychology
> >(neither of which seem to be getting me anywhere), and going into the
> >sciences- I'd love to get in on the coming revolution while there's still
> >time.
>
> Slightly off topic, but it's useless to major in something like philosophy
> and/or psychology. I'm not talking about the tired (but true) argument that
> they are not profitable later in life. I just mean that these are things you
> do not really need formal instruction in to learn. Someone who devotes 4
> years to studying philosophy, or psychology (or art history, etc.) is going
> to be better off then someone with a major in it. I learned more about
> cognitive science from my own studies then from majoring in it. The only
> really interesting thing I learned in psychology was about cool experiments
> they did with monkeys.
Well, yes and no. I agree that it is quite possible to educate
yourself in an useful way into fields where you have no formal
training, I do it all the time myself. But at the same time I have
found that the formal training does contain stuff that you tend to
ignore when you look at the field "from the outside". For example, in
psychology you learn a lot about statistics and test design, which are
IMHO dreadfully boring - but unless you become well acquainted with
them you will become uncritical towards the whole field. The same goes
for (say) linear algebra - not the most exciting part of math, but it
is taught early on for a reason. A skilled self-educator will of
course pick things like this up, but it is not always obvious.
Another issue is whether you might have a use of a title. My views
became markedly more convincing to people when I got my M.Sc, and I
have little doubt that little Ph.D. will further my aims even
more. Not monetarily (I would be better off consulting or writing
database software or virtual machines like my brother), but by gaining
certain forms of credibility. Today I was interviewed on radio about
cloning, and one reason I was on the air was because I obviously was a
serious character - after all, I have an office at the Royal Institute
of Technology. Maybe that is a stupid game - I know plenty of people
with no formal background that know more than me - but it is part of
the primate structures and can be used as an exercise in applying
those skills you learn by playing roleplaying games.
(Only 343 more experience points and I will go up a level to Ph.D.!
Then I will get access to spell-lists like Letter to the Editor,
Instant Expert and the dreaded Statistics Deluge. Now I better slay
that dragon... I mean finish my research paper. Where did I put my +5
Pen of Neuroscience?)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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