Path: csiph.com!weretis.net!feeder9.news.weretis.net!i2pn.org!i2pn2.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: D Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc Subject: Re: Remember "Bit-Slice" Chips ? Date: Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:09:30 +0100 Organization: i2pn2 (i2pn.org) Message-ID: <2db292c9-731d-8239-0a92-06b1e800e9cf@example.net> References: <0d5d463f-af08-46aa-97e3-ef251ba64cc4@example.net> <451210c3-9b3d-91f1-be43-d06211f3b30f@example.net> <812b41ff-53e1-48d3-8088-d186fa65d90a@example.net> <0569900a-ccc1-bc30-56ef-af726a877c16@example.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Injection-Info: i2pn2.org; logging-data="59511"; mail-complaints-to="usenet@i2pn2.org"; posting-account="w/4CleFT0XZ6XfSuRJzIySLIA6ECskkHxKUAYDZM66M"; X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 4.0.0 In-Reply-To: Xref: csiph.com comp.os.linux.misc:62952 On Sun, 22 Dec 2024, rbowman wrote: > On Sun, 22 Dec 2024 11:50:00 +0100, D wrote: > > >> I shudder at the memory of differential equations and my >> electromagnetism course. I quickly came to the conclusion that I found >> math and physics boring. I was able to push through some of those >> courses by sheer will power, but I realized, why should I spend 4 years >> on something that I find is boring? > > Each discipline had courses that sorted the sheep from the goats. diff-e > and e-mag theory were two for the ee's. o-chem did in the potential > chemists. iirc thermodynamics weeded out the civil engineers. This is the truth! In law in sweden, there is a course called "the wall" which has a similar purpose. I like this methodology, because it sends the message (at least I always interpreted in this way) that if you want to spend your life doing this, you have to fight for it and be motivated. I do the same thing when I teach. I start hard, and lower the difficulty level after the first 3-4 weeks, to sort out the unmotivated ones. Sadly I no longer have the first course, so this year, we did it in networking, and we'll see in january if we had the intended effect. I really hope all the people who threatened the school with leaving unless the school lowered the difficulty level of the exam left. That would be great! =) Naturally we refused to lower the difficulty level, and in the end 37 out of 48 passed. Too many if you ask me. 30-35 I find is a good class size. > When I took diff-e a friend had a bet with the TA for the course on > whether I would pass. My attendance in class was spotty to say the least > and the TA said 'No way'. He lost. You are one tough cookie! >> So after jumping through legal hoops, and proving to the university that >> my idea was correct and theirs wrong, they let me pick my own courses as >> long as the course difficulty level (A, B, C, D level) met some >> pre-specified levels. So in the end the emphasis was on IT and >> philosophy, >> with a healthy dose of psychology, business, finance etc. > > That was the nice thing about the psychology department. There were a few > required courses but it was mostly a la carte. I'm reading Where Wizards Stay Up Late: The Origins Of The Internet right now, and a surprising amount of people in there came from a psychology background. It seems the psychology education in the 60s where on to something! They created the best technological people in a generation, so a la carte seems to be very beneficial for innovation and following ones natural talents and interests.