/sci/ - Science & Math

Partly I have a very wide variety of interests, and partly I don't see the point in specialising in one field alone unless you plan to devote your career to it.

"But the truth is that the dilettante treats his subject as an end, whereas the professional, pure and simple, treats it merely as a means. He alone will be really in earnest about a matter, who has a direct interest therein, takes to it because he likes it, and pursues it con amore. It is these, and not hirelings, that have always done the greatest work"
>based bro Schopenhauer

>>12083953
>But the truth is that the dilettante treats his subject as an end, whereas the professional, pure and simple, treats it merely as a means
True for dilettantes maybe, but not true for everyone who has eclectic interests.
> It is these, and not hirelings, that have always done the greatest work"
Not all great works come from specialists, considering all the polymaths in history. Schopenhauer is indeed based but he is clearly coping here since the statement is false on both levels.

jack of all trades, master of none. you are willingfully choosing mediocrity

>>12084272
but a specialist is a connector of none

>>12084281
now days you need to have high school/undergrad level understanding in everything and be specialized in one thing, for example medical research is impossible without knowing at least undergrad math and chemistry.

>>12084272
>wilfully choosing to restrict yourself to one thing
t. ant

"Specialization is for insects"
- Robert Heinlein

>>12083785
You basically self taught yourself into an associates degree

>>12083785
Based, the antiquarian education is patrician. Knowledge divided is a mind disconnected

>>12083785
>>be me
Stopped reading, fuck off back to plebbit.

>>12084489
triggered

>>12084489
how new are you lmao? "be me" is classic greentext

>>12084477
>Knowledge divided is a mind disconnected
should be a well known quote

>>12083785
Not as long as you train and practice your integrative creativity.

https://psyche.co/ideas/to-be-creative-chinese-philosophy-teaches-us-to-abandon-originality

>undergraduate degree in everything

>>12083785
knowledge without application is vanity

>>12085015
yeah I'm sure you're applying your phd level knowledge to anything useful

The chad autodidact vs the virgin 'pay someone $100,000 to put a textbook on some Powerpoint slides'.

>>12083785
>Is there anything wrong with being a generalist?
no, I think everyone should do that, but once they've obtained a broad enough knowledge they should home in one specific field. Once you know a reasonable amount of a lot of fields it can help give you insight into problems you can solve in the field you want to specialize in.

>>12083785
>>Is there anything wrong with being a generalist?
it's unsatisfying

>>12083785
>learn math up to first year university level
So, not enough to do literally anything?

they expect you to know everything and sneer if you don't

All of the previous posters are absolute retards.

You have the basics down, yes anon. Good job. Now you need to figure out a problem that intrigues. Find a question that fills you with passion. Keep generalizing until it hits you.

Then realize that all science is connected. Biology to Chemistry to Physics to Math. If you have a good foundation in science, you begin to answer your question.

Keep learning anon. Answer your question.

>>12083785
All STEMfags should know up to second year Chem, Bio, Math and Phys including orgo, diff eq, stats, analysis, lin alg, basic physiology and evolutionary theory, mechanics, EM, waves and thermochem+acid-base equilibria, throw in enough coding to do simulations and statistical analysis and you have a well educated substrate to mold into the specialists necessary for high civilization. no different from making kids learn their latin, greek, grammar, history.

>>12086577
This to be honest I don't see how anyone can work on serious problems (outside of mathematics) without at least knowing a little about everything else. Like imagine you're trying to cure some disease, there's at least five subjects you'd need to get a grip on before even being competent enough to formulate the problem itself. And if we're talking about bigger things like economic problems, then good luck with that unless you basically understand the entire system.

>>12084272
Jack of all trades, master of none; but better by far, than a master of one.

Learn the full saying or you just look like an idiot trying to use it.

>>12086581
>Chem, Bio, Math and Phys including orgo, diff eq, stats, analysis, lin alg, basic physiology and evolutionary theory, mechanics, EM, waves and thermochem+acid-base equilibria, throw in enough coding to do simulations and statistical analysis

All of this plus require the following readings: classics (Homer, Dante, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare...), essential philosophy (Plato, Aristotle...), and history (Western Civilisation) for the ultimate patrician chad education.

>>12087111
I dispute that reading classics alone is a solid grounding. Many contemporary sources of literature match or even exceed these writings in terms of readability and relavence of similar concepts to modern humans. Although philosophy is a bit more static. Sticking to a pure western philosophical tradition of the greek -> european scholars is pretty unbalanced though. Best to build up both east and west philosophical traditions simeltaneously in order to create a balenced view of both

This is how you know everyone on sci is actually mentally challenged. This guy has been reading books written for mongoloids for years. How you manage to romanticize this is beyond me.

>>12087107
That's not actually the full saying, it's something that was added later.

>>12087129
>Many contemporary sources of literature match or even exceed these writings in terms of readability and relavence of similar concepts to modern humans
Care to share some for my own reading?
I think reading classics has the added benefit of learning how ideas developed historically.

>>12087178
>give me attention! I'm so much smarter than everyone else

>>12083785
This is brainlet cope. There is nothing wrong with having vast knowledge as long as it is usefull to you in some way (i.e. directly using it, using it to advance your way of thinking in other fields,cetc). If you learn little about everything then this is not usefull to you, cause you can neither use it direclty nor use it to advance your thinking (it is elementary knowledge afterall) nor can you use it in any other way. If you have knowledge but can't use it in any way then this is not different from not having knowledge

>>12087312
That's not what this is about. Most of you are just playing charades, those books aren't written for actual human beings.

>>12087352
>If you have knowledge but can't use it in any way then this is not different from not having knowledge
Fortunately it is impossible to 'not use knowledge'. Every time you read a newspaper, interact with people, purchase something, make a decision, etc. the knowledge you gain helps you in these actions.

The brainlet fallacy is to think using knowledge means writing papers or working in a lab. Only a child would think this, but I know you're 17 years old.

>>12087398
tell me one good thing that can come out from knowing that we all will inevitably die and using it in some way

no bullshit like "muh eternal life" allowed, will never happen

>>12084272
>jack of all trades, master of none

Is still better than a one who knows none.

Why do people forget the FULL saying? Being broad generalist is still better than someone who knows jackshit about anything and realistically there are very few who are actually 'master' of anything.

>>12087429
>tell me one good thing that can come out from knowing that we all will inevitably die and using it in some way
Simple. Making the most of the time you have here. Come on dude wake up, use that big brain of yours.

>>12087551
>Making the most of the time you have here.
for what purpose? Knowing that I will die anyway, there's no point in even thinking of what to do, let alone do it in a way that I'd get the maximum satisfaction.

Ironically, you cannot deny this in any way, otherwise you contradict yourself
>Fortunately it is impossible to 'not use knowledge'.

Cope.

>>12087557
I answered your silly question. The conclusion you drew ('there's no point in even thinking of what to do') doesn't follow. It seems like you could do with a basic education in things like logic and English, because you argue like a retard.

>>12084453
based

>>12085372
kek and true

>>12087566
You didn't answer anything.

I have knowledge of the end, the end is nothingness for me as individual and nothing I do will change it. My memories, whether good or bad, will go away when I die aswell, so making the best of it is also completely and utterly pointless.

You can't just claim that its impossible for me to do anything but ignore this knowledge and do indeed make the best of it while I'm here, then tell me that I argue like a retard when I just paraphrased your retarded idea.

>Is there anything wrong with being a generalist?
I think you meant being a brainlet.

>>12087398
17 years old are still children though.

>>12087523
jack of all trades is a master of jacking off and failing everything, cope

you cant do any research as a generalist, because you wont know enough of any topic to pick even the lowest hanging fruit

>>12087639
You can research new interdisciplinary fields that don't require specialisation.

But who the fuck cares? What if you have a job, a family, and other shit to do? Most people don't get to research at all.

>>12084272
I’m a his genius and I did what op did for stem just to be a rounded human. So now I can code and understand biophysics.

pick 1 or 2 to get good at. nobody cares if you know something about everything, you get hired because you are good at 1 or 2 things

>>12087598
We aren't what we keep
We are right now

>>12087429
that knowledge frames the relativity of every single thing you do, say, and experience.
precisely because it teaches you scale, it reveals the meaning and value of all things that follow

>>12087598
dude who's never had a present moment...
sad

>>12090189
>putting money before anything

>>12083785
I think it's admirable to know a little about a lot of topics, but if you also want to be usefull to society in some way, at least specialize a little in one subject.

the Chad way is to heavily specialize and then draw from other disciplines to your craft, and also export shit you learn to other fields and see if it helps.

t. computational biophysics (with ee minor) pee eich dee

>>12083785
Cringe
>>12092174
Based

>>12083785
if your a jack of all trades you need to specialize in finance and not be a sperg.

>>12087129
imagine wasting your time on this non sense when you could learn financial jew magic and make millions off of autistic stem niggers

>>12086581
>>12087111
Holy based.

>>12092695
fucking filename lmao

>>12084472
I hate this disgusting webm

>>12092855
the disease isn't that bad if it makes you feel any better. it just deforms your face, not your brain.

>>12083785
It's definitely beneficial to have a basic understanding of those areas of knowledge.

This is an essence the fundamental idea behind a liberal arts education. You are exposed to introductory levels of many subjects without ever going into depth in any one in particular.
There is nothing wrong with it, but try to find one that you enjoy and study it further.

Breadth of knowledge is important, but depth of knowledge is even more so.

>>12083785
not enough, you need up to 4th year university to be useful

>>12084287
?? Einstein had to do several topics on electricity in his undergrad.
it sounds like you're saying people have to get a BA just to get an MA which is obvious.

>>12086365
lmao

>>12086365
he can do well in a trades course lol