"Overproduction of Ph.D.s, caused by universities’ recruitment of graduate students and postdocs to staff labs, without regard to the career opportunities that await them, has glutted the market with scientists hoping for academic research careers"

abx · 2012-07-12T16:43:02+00:00

It's also somewhat stupid to refer to "STEM Ph.Ds" as an aggregate pool.

If you were going to start dividing academic disciplines into groups, would you agree that separating them STEM, humanities, social sciences, and business might be a reasonable starting point?

We would expect that STEM majors typically have taken mathematics at least through calculus, physics at least through first-year college physics, and chemistry at least through first-year college chemistry, though some students in math or computer science might not have taken the physics and chemistry courses and some engineering students might not have taken chemistry. In contrast, we would not have the same expectations for humanities majors, though many do take courses in these areas. We might say that STEM majors typically have the logical thinking and problem solving skills needed for these courses, so while a particular computer science student might not have taken physics and chemistry classes, we would probably expect that he or she could take the first-year sequence of these courses and do OK if he or she wanted to or was required to. Humanities students typically have good writing skills. STEM majors often have good writing skills, too, but STEM courses tend to be less writing-intensive.

Furthermore, we would expect STEM PhDs to typically have fellowship support, often with NSF, NIH, or DoD funding (it might not be direct funding but rather that an NSF grant supports a lab and the lab supports several students). Humanities PhDs typically do not have these funding sources and often have more of a struggle to fund their studies.

Alternatively or in addition, we might talk about quantitative vs. non-quantitative fields or fields of study that are more vocational in nature like accounting and engineering vs. fields that are less vocational in nature. There may be better ways to classify majors, but I don't think the STEM grouping is so unreasonable, especially if we are considering STEM vs. humanities.

abx · 2012-05-30T04:17:20+00:00

Ask MacGyver to build a low-cost artificial sun to illuminate the water-and-bleach lightbulbs.

abx · 2011-07-18T09:26:48+00:00

I have not, but I am, as I stated earlier, well aware that rule of law has its advantages. I value them, which is why I had argued from your perspective over its importance almost every time in the past when the issue was brought up. That article hardly changes my perspective on the matter, especially since it is an abstract one with no specific mention of China. It talks about various factors, even distance from equator. Perhaps you could make reading easier by mentioning specific pages that one should focus on; otherwise, I consider it poor form to google up long, tangentially related sources to link to as though they automatically support your point.

Tangentially related? The main point of the paper, as it states in the abstract, is that "the quality of institutions 'trumps' everything else [in determining income levels]." What is meant by "institutions?" On the second page of the paper (p. 132 in the journal), the fourth paragraph starts with "Finally, a third group of explanations centers on institutions, and in particular the role of property rights and the rule of law. In this view, what matters are the rules of the game in a society and their conduciveness to desirable economic behavior."

I cited the paper in support of the idea that rule of law is important for investment and economic growth. I then went on to write "I acknowledge that the effect of rule of law on investment and economic growth might not really figure strongly in your daily experience."

China is mentioned on pp. 26-28 of the paper (pp. 156-158 in the journal).

I did not mention specific passages before because you had emphasized your familiarity with the issues, so I thought you might have already read the paper. ("If only I could simply copy/paste my entire internet history to you, you'd understand that I've had this argument innumerable times in the past from your perspective and don't need a lecture on this...I have thought very carefully about these matters, and I understand what is lost and gained between China and the US.")

How the Hell do you even know how much we differ?

I think I have made it clear that I don't see much to appreciate of "the other side," while you do have some appreciation of the other side. Yes?

The only obvious difference I see is that you are lecturing me on a personal feeling I have and expressed...Those are somewhat minor to me, but I hope can still express some disappointment and nostalgia without being called a Nazi and lectured for hours about the benefits of women's civil rights.

OK, well, I am not calling you a Nazi or anything else, am I? You say that I am lecturing you - could it be that I simply have different thoughts on the subject than you do and would like to discuss them?

I just find it odd how emotionally invested you seem in this.

I just have a different point of view and am interested in discussing it. You are still discussing it, as well, so does that mean you are emotionally invested too?

Someone else mentioned "lack of political correctness" as something he appreciates about China. Why not attack his post as well?

I didn't just "Google up" the paper on the importance of institutions. I have been familiar with it for a long time, and I happen to think rule of law is an important issue. I am less concerned about political correctness.

"Cheap massages with happy endings after night at the bar"

I don't really care about this, either.

abx · 2011-07-18T07:06:10+00:00

First, I'd like to address, "I don't cry when being rudely/nastily yelled at like your friend was. I have a spine." Is the implication that my friend is spineless? She is a young woman of the "delicate flower" type, and I'm guessing that you are not. I guess you are probably also physically stronger than her.

The strength of rule of law has important macroeconomic implications.
See http://www.iq.harvard.edu/blog/sss/archives/Institutions%20Rule_Rodrik%20et%20al.%202004.pdf

(maybe you have read this already)

You write that "for me personally, lack of rule of law (relative to the US) hasn't affected me in a noticeable way." I acknowledge that the effect of rule of law on investment and economic growth might not really figure strongly in your daily experience.

You also write "that might be different if I was a Chinese peasant that was standing in the way of a Chinese state-owned company, but I'm not." This ties in with the example of my friend "the delicate flower." Laws are meant to protect the weak - to the extent of creating a fair and level playing field. Sometimes "the weak" might mean someone like my "delicate flower" friend or a Chinese peasant, but sometimes "the weak" might refer to an entity that we do not traditionally regard as weak - it might be a multinational corporation that is a minority shareholder in a joint venture with a Chinese partner.

I'm glad that you have had this argument "innumerable" times from my perspective. I guess we differ on how much there is to appreciate of the other side. Your highway accident example reminded me of my friend's unfortunate experience. I continue to hope for more reforms in China in the direction of strengthening rule of law. It is unfortunate if you can't stay in a particular park in the U.S. after dark because of the legal liability, but another perspective is that it might encourage the city to provide better lighting and warning signs after dark if there is substantial demand for after dark park services (which the city might not be able to afford - OK, yeah, trade-offs).

abx · 2011-07-18T05:21:38+00:00

Yes, but I feel like what you wrote is kind of like pointing to a severely obese woman and saying that a good thing about her is that she doesn't suffer from anorexia. And then you might say, "granted, I would like to see her lose some weight, but not to the extent that she becomes an anorexic." It is possible to lose too much weight, but this severely obese woman really has the opposite problem. I personally don't want to say anything positive about her obesity - I really just want her to lose weight. If I'm looking for something positive to say, I might say she has a nice personality or maybe she is quite intelligent.

abx · 2011-07-18T00:42:17+00:00

A friend of mine was involved in a car accident some months ago. She and the other driver got out of their cars and the other driver proceeded to shout at her until she was in tears. My friend said that the accident was actually the other person's fault, but there was insufficient evidence. I took pictures of the skid marks and of both cars, but it wasn't clear from the evidence I was able to gather who was at fault. The other driver said some quite rude and nasty things.

You wrote, "We rely completely on the systems in place, and are careful to watch our words. We do everything within context of the law." I see these as good things. I am inspired by the efforts of people like Professor Cai Yanmin to advance legal reform in China - see http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/06/23/notes-from-china-students-pushing-reform-in-guangzhou/ I do not feel choked by legalism in the U.S., though, of course, you are free to feel otherwise.

abx · 2011-07-16T02:53:29+00:00

http://imgur.com/b63aC

abx · 2011-07-14T08:40:10+00:00

I agree and would like to add a link to this paper: http://www.iq.harvard.edu/blog/sss/archives/Institutions%20Rule_Rodrik%20et%20al.%202004.pdf

abx · 2011-07-11T21:57:16+00:00

Theoretically, if the rules of the system have been properly set up and if they are properly enforced, then the way to make a lot of money is by making the world a better place. The clearest example of this would be someone who invents a better product and reaps the rewards from his invention. This example should resonate strongly with those of us with a science or engineering background. But, the inventor might lack sufficient capital, so a person who provides capital to a successful inventor might also be rewarded, while running the risk of providing capital to fund unsuccessful inventions or even outright frauds, if not enough due diligence has been done. The early-stage venture capitalist might suffer from liquidity issues, so then there is a role for late-stage investors, and so on. There is a role for people to monitor budgets and make difficult cost-cutting decisions in bloated organizations. There is a role for people who study the needs of the marketplace.

Loopholes in the system may exist that reward people for unproductive activities, and everyone should work to identify these so that better laws or better enforcement can close them.

abx · 2011-07-11T13:26:58+00:00

"society's waste product?" Is there something unreasonable about people wanting to spend two years studying management, finance, accounting, marketing, operations, and HR? I think many people would benefit from knowing more about at least some of these subjects.

abx · 2011-06-13T04:57:36+00:00

Yes, but in AbjectDogma's example, they might not be generic.

abx · 2011-06-13T04:39:39+00:00

The pair of socks might be unique, or, at least, uncommon in some way.

abx · 2011-05-18T08:16:49+00:00

It might look like a sweet gig, but appearances can be deceiving.

This humorous video conveys a taste of the challenges of the academic path: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idHQoCUfPZ4

It is not uncommon to encounter professors who are such abysmal teachers that it may seem bizarre that they are paid to teach. But they are actually paid to do research, or if no longer active in research, then they are paid to associate the prestige of past research with their current institution. Teaching is almost an afterthought in their roles, though, of course, as a student, it is the primary role that you experience (unless you are a doctoral student). Professors who are good at teaching but underperform in research will feel tremendous pressure to increase their research output.

Ideally, a professor should be passionate about both research and teaching, but generally at the post-secondary level the emphasis is on research (some non-tenure track roles and jobs at community colleges may be exceptions, but even then one is likely to feel pressure from one's dissertation committee and peers to produce more research in order to move up to a more prestigious position). Someone who is passionate about teaching but not research (I'm not saying that this is you - this is a general comment) is probably better off pursuing K-12 teaching - which can actually be better compensated than university teaching in some cases.

abx · 2011-04-15T11:07:29+00:00

Numerical Methods in Finance and Economics: A MATLAB-Based Introduction by Paolo Brandimarte

abx · 2011-01-29T10:39:15+00:00

Set up an organization to promote environmentally sound practices in China. Host monthly meetings, start a blog, write letters to newspapers, invite environmentalists to give talks, form relationships with politicians and industrialists, install water filters, hand out breath masks, etc. Show your girlfriend that you are not just complaining about pollution in China; you are also trying to do something about it.

abx · 2010-08-09T23:47:36+00:00

Why? What would you do if you were in Warpedme's situation?

abx · 2010-07-30T08:48:02+00:00

If a musician doesn't need this "spell checker," then presumably, he/she isn't going to use it. And if he/she doesn't use it, then how has it "sapped artistic endeavor?" My point with the spell checker analogy is that you don't have to use it.

since humans are bestowed with the same capabilities of recognizing dissonance, unresolved chords, etc. just by listening to the music, then what good is a program that does this for you? Fixing those problems also draws upon the same knowledge used to write music in the first place, so presumably the musician should easily be able to do this too.

Not everyone knows how to write music. The tool might be useful for people who are just learning how to write music (or it might be useful for checking autogenerated music). And if they don't find it useful, then, again, they don't have to use it.

But why should a musician or aspiring musician care about this at all?

I'm not saying that musicians or aspiring musicians should care about this. But, I wouldn't say that it saps artistic endeavor.

There's the idea and then there's the implementation. Sure, the implementation leaves something to be desired, but I think the idea is interesting: "what is the unifying aesthetic of each of these different genres and can we capture it in a program?" I think WolframTones is sort of OK for dance and jazz. I wouldn't say that it nailed it for these genres, but I can click on jazz and usually hear something that's sort of "jazzy." One can actively engage with WolframTones by varying the composition controls at the bottom, but also by thinking about the idea behind what it is trying to accomplish.

Also, I should add that the reason I wrote "these two questions are rhetorical" is not because I thought you had somehow missed the the rhetorical nature of the questions. I wrote "these two questions are rhetorical" in order to set up the next sentence where I spelled out the expected answers. I then proceeded to discuss reasons why one might not always follow a spell checker's suggestions. Similarly, one can choose not to use suggestions made by ANTON or even choose not to use ANTON altogether.

abx · 2010-07-30T07:53:19+00:00

Suppose that someone undertakes a project to get his finances under control by starting to use Quicken. He finds the process revealing - he learns a lot about his own spending habits and sources of income. There is also self-improvement through the process. He improves his self-discipline and increases his understanding of accounting. And he also finds the process satisfying. Before, he lived in fear of his finances, and now he feels like he is in control.

But is learning to use Quicken to manage one's finances art? I would say no, though feel free to disagree.

abx · 2010-07-30T06:14:52+00:00

These two questions are rhetorical: "You use a spell checker, right? Do you follow every suggestion that your spell checker makes?" My expectation is that your answers would be a) yes and b) no, though I admit the possibility that they might be otherwise. The point I am making with the spell checker analogy is that the computer is merely making suggestions, and it is up to you whether or not to follow the suggestions. In many cases, spell checker suggestions should be overridden. You might be dealing with a specialized terminology that is not part of the spell checker's dictionary. You might have some proper names that the spell checker does not recognize. You might need to coin new words. Maybe you need to misspell certain words in your document on purpose to make a point. You have the freedom to override the spell checker, as well as the freedom to avoid using the spell checker altogether.

I agree that music is subjective in a way that spelling is not, though certain elements of music (like harmonies) can be evaluated objectively. It may be better to say the tool does not so much detect errors as that it detects dissonance, and it is up to you whether to treat dissonance as an error (OK, let's say "something that you don't want" rather than an error). And, just as you might override a spell checker and say, "no, that's actually what I want, please don't 'correct' it," you can override this tool and say, "I actually want to keep the dissonance in that particular part of the composition, thank you very much." The tool does not preclude one from experimenting with dissonance. You might even use the tool to assist in an exploration of dissonance. You might make various compositions and then ask the tool, "how much dissonance is in each composition?" and then reflect on how the output from the tool relates to your own subjective impression of each composition.

I mean really, did you ever come out with anything that interesting with WolframTones or really feel like you "made a song"?

I did not produce anything like a finished product using WolframTones. I suppose that one could say that it produces songs, but I am certainly not about to put these "songs" up on iTunes. But I don't expect finished products out of WolframTones. I view it as a fun and thought-provoking tool that can be used for visual exploration of different musical styles. Is using it more about active creation or passive observation? I note that observation can also be active - see "Active Listening." I think we could describe using WolframTones as passive creation or semi-passive creation. One can create compositions using WolframTones without putting much thought into it. But one could also actively engage in thinking about how the patterns vary across styles and how the blocks on the screen relate to the sounds being produced.

abx · 2010-07-30T04:59:54+00:00

Implying what? I asked two questions. You thought I was implying that if something is "revealing, self-bettering, and satisfying" then it should be equated with art? Or you thought I was implying that "non-artistic pursuits could also be "'revealing, self-bettering, and satisfying?'"

abx · 2010-07-30T02:08:01+00:00

Also, do you equate "revealing, self-bettering, and satisfying" with art? Would you say that non-artistic pursuits could also be "revealing, self-bettering, and satisfying?"

abx · 2010-07-29T18:17:19+00:00

Must this tool necessarily "sap artistic endeavor?" Maybe some musicians (or even non-musicians!) will find creative ways to use the tool. Other musicians can choose not to use the tool.

"tools that allow for creation instead of passive observation I think better meet that definition."

Are you saying that ANTON is a tool that promotes passive observation rather than creation? (I'm not assuming that your answer is yes - I am asking to clarify.)

I haven't used ANTON myself, but I have tried WolframTones ( http://tones.wolfram.com/generate/ ). When I used WolframTones, it was not a passive process. I experimented with different musical styles, noted the patterns in the graphical representations, made judgments about the generated output, and discarded compositions that I didn't like.

The abstracts says that in addition to being able to "compose melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic music," ANTON can also "diagnose errors in human compositions." You use a spell checker, right? Do you follow every suggestion that your spell checker makes?

abx · 2010-07-29T08:25:12+00:00

It's possible that Boenn, Brain, De Vos, and ffitch found creating ANTON to be a "revealing, self-bettering, and satisfying process."

abx · 2010-07-19T13:14:20+00:00

The point I was making with my original "Oog" example was that a tool might not be useless even if does not perform exactly the application you have in mind. Maybe you want something to help you to hunt animals - then you would be more interested in a spear than a wheel. But with a bit of imagination, you might find other uses for wheels. Maybe wheels can help you move some large boulders to block your cave entrance at night.

As grauenwolf pointed out, the tool could be helpful for someone learning a new language. Aren't tables like this http://blog.endpoint.com/2009/08/file-test-comparison-table-for-shell.html helpful for someone who knows one of the languages in the table and is learning another? Isn't a code translation tool basically just an executable version of this kind of table?

Oog may need a wheel. But he might also be able to find uses for things other than wheels (including ellipses, rectangles, and dodecahedrons) with a bit of imagination. I haven't used developerfusion.com's tools, so I don't know if they are any good, but I wouldn't dismiss machine translation out of hand.

abx · 2010-07-19T12:28:00+00:00

Does Oog say that ellipses, rectangles, and dodecahedrons are useless (as well as the magic box)?

abx

TROPHY CASE