Rich Rocks the UT

[Hatfield]

Hahahahaha.

To be fair, I was also attracted to Cog Sci because it seemed focused on solving problems that traditional computer science fails at. Knowledge representation, pattern recognition, NP-complete problems, etc. In the end I found that the only jobs in the field seemed to be in the defense industry. I had paid for college with an internship at a defense contractor, so I knew enough to know I didn’t want to work in that field any longer. In the end it all worked out, and as Rich noted, your academic credentials become less meaningful as your gain work experience. In the end I’m happy with the outcome; that said I wish I’d worked harder in the calculus class, as FFTs and DFTs have crossed my path many times and a better intuitive sense for them would have served me well.

I stacked my major with a lot of CS classes also, including Compiler Construction which I really enjoyed, even though it was one of the tougher classes I took. The instructor (L. Bradley I believe was her name) was awesome. In fact I think I only took two mainline psych classes – one of which was an experimental statistics class for psych students. The other was an awful intro to cognitive psychology class, which had all the hallmarks of what Richard Feynman called a Cargo Cult Science.

[zk]

[quote=Rich Toscano]Glad someone finally found a use for recursion…[/quote]

[quote=Hatfield]Hahahahaha. [/quote]

Huh. That was just like when my wife’s family is over, and I’m listening but they’re speaking Chinese, and suddenly they all laugh.

[Rich Toscano]

[quote=zk]
Huh. That was just like when my wife’s family is over, and I’m listening but they’re speaking Chinese, and suddenly they all laugh.[/quote]

The difference being that Hatfield and I weren’t pointing and laughing at you in specific… 😉

[ucodegen]

[quote=afx114][quote=Hatfield]Nice interview. Also: UCSD Cog Sci, represent! I had no idea.

Go Tritons![/quote]

WTF, I represent UCSD Cog Sci as well. What is it about us?[/quote]Mine was UCSD – EECE/Computer Engineering – Revelle, I actually enjoyed Math 2F.
[quote=Rich Toscano]BTW for any youths reading this, I wouldn’t recommend doing that… switching to a major just bc you think it’s interesting. Unless you are going to go into academia in that topic. But otherwise, I’d recommend optimizing for career/job getting preparation vs. interestingness.[/quote]I switched, partially because it was interesting, partially because I had to put myself through UCSD – on my own dime, no grants. Comp-Eng was the only way I could figure to get a job while putting myself through college at same time. I was originally Physics/Engineering. PS: Loved the Compiler class (EECE 163) – ok, yes I might be ‘demented’.
[quote=Rich Toscano]Glad someone finally found a use for recursion…[/quote]How about lambda functions, particularly self-writing code. It is possible to do that in Lisp.
[quote zk]Huh. That was just like when my wife’s family is over, and I’m listening but they’re speaking Chinese, and suddenly they all laugh.[/quote]EECE 163 was known for having students ‘camp-in’ on the lab when the University was running it on timeshare Vax11/750, Ridge Pyramid or HP Snake. I think at one time, the machine was sdcc13.ucsd.edu. With PCs, that all changed, though you still have to work longer than normal hours to complete the homework assignments. I remember having to queue my compiles for EECS 163. It helped that on the second quarter (163B), I had access to an early Sun Microsystems SunII (Multibus Sun) as well as a Vax11/780 all to myself at night from where I was working.

[afx114]

[quote=afx114]Glad someone finally found a use for recursion…[quote=Rich Toscano]Glad someone finally found a use for recursion…[/quote][/quote]

[Hatfield]

[quote=zk]That was just like when my wife’s family is over, and I’m listening but they’re speaking Chinese, and suddenly they all laugh.[/quote]

When this happens, I always assume the joke was on me.

[Hatfield]

[quote=ucodegen]EECE 163 was known for having students ‘camp-in’ on the lab when the University was running it on timeshare Vax11/750, Ridge Pyramid or HP Snake.[/quote]

Hmm, I don’t remember getting on the VAXen was nearly so much an issue as getting on the AT&T 3B2’s which were used for EECS 70 (assembly level programming). There were probably 150 ppl in the class but only about 40 machines in the two labs. The second time I took that class (not kidding), I ended up changing my sleep cycle around just to be able to get a machine. I’d wake up at 3am, work in the lab till about 9am, then go to classes, study, have dinner, and then go to bed about 7pm.

If I was to give one piece of advice to college students it would be time management. If you have 4 hours to spend on a project that’s worth 5% of your grade, or a midterm that’s worth 25%, spend it on the midterm. Took me a long time to figure that one out. To this day I still have a difficult time of letting go of a project that’s not complete.

[zk]

[quote=Rich Toscano]

The difference being that Hatfield and I weren’t pointing and laughing at you in specific… ;-)[/quote]

[quote=Hatfield]
When this happens, I always assume the joke was on me.[/quote]

Yeah, when I hear, “[chinese chinese chinese] ha ha.” That’s ok.

Or “[chinese chinese chinese] zk.” That’s ok.

But if I hear “[chinese chinese chinese] zk. hahaha,” Now I’m wondering what’s going on.

[Coronita]

.

[afx114]

I’m really disappointed that no one has continued my recursive quote joke.

[zk]

[quote=afx114]I’m really disappointed that no one has continued my recursive quote joke.[/quote]

[quote=zk]
Too easy
[quote=zk]
Too easy
[quote=zk]
Too easy
[/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote=zk]
Echo
[quote=zk]
Echo
[quote=zk]
Echo
[/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]
[quote=zk]
I’ve got to concentrate
[quote=zk]
concentrate
[quote=zk]
concentrate
[/quote]
[/quote]
[/quote]

[quote=zk]
Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon.

[quote=zk]
Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon.
[/quote]
[/quote]
[quote=zk]
Manny

[quote=zk]
Manny
[/quote]
[/quote]
[quote=zk]
Mota

[quote=zk]
Mota
[/quote]
[/quote]

Yes, Airplane! is my favorite movie. And yes, I’ve had a few.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nL21u2fCZk

[ucodegen]

[quote=Hatfield][quote=ucodegen]EECE 163 was known for having students ‘camp-in’ on the lab when the University was running it on timeshare Vax11/750, Ridge Pyramid or HP Snake.[/quote]

Hmm, I don’t remember getting on the VAXen was nearly so much an issue as getting on the AT&T 3B2’s which were used for EECS 70 (assembly level programming).[/quote]I remember those POS(s). I had finished EECS 70 by the time the University brought the AT&T 3b2s in. I prefer the old TERAKs that they had when I took it. It was possible to even throw up memory directly to display – bitwise, by properly setting the GAR(Graphics Address Register). It had memory mapped display memory plus a text plane. I even got into messing with the boot-strap code.

[quote=Hatfield]There were probably 150 ppl in the class but only about 40 machines in the two labs. The second time I took that class (not kidding), I ended up changing my sleep cycle around just to be able to get a machine. I’d wake up at 3am, work in the lab till about 9am, then go to classes, study, have dinner, and then go to bed about 7pm.[/quote]Typical oversubscribed, under-supported under-grad course. The other thing I noticed is that final bits of ‘learning’ that were needed to complete the assignment were often given during the last few days before the assignment is due. It created a rush scenario where everyone was panicking to complete the assignment before due-time.

[quote=Hatfield]If I was to give one piece of advice to college students it would be time management. If you have 4 hours to spend on a project that’s worth 5% of your grade, or a midterm that’s worth 25%, spend it on the midterm. Took me a long time to figure that one out. To this day I still have a difficult time of letting go of a project that’s not complete.[/quote]
Proper time-management is important to learn, as well as prioritization. One of the difficulties I had, was letting go of an assignment that was not complete.. but very interesting to work on.

[EconProf]

I just now read the article and interview and congratulate Rich, not only on his prescience but his leap into (correct) forecasting without formal training. It is a reminder that degrees often mean little, and one can be accomplished even if self-taught.
It was also good to walk down memory lane regarding the bubble and its aftermath. We need to remember who was right and who was wrong in past pronounciations and applaud and condemn accordingly. Too often journalists ignor the record of those they interview.

[Rich Toscano]

Thanks, EconProf. Though I should admit, I’ve gotten plenty wrong too, for the record. 😉

[joec]

I actually think being educated or taught a certain way leads to “group think” and bias…

Intuition (if that’s even the word) if one knows how to recognize it correctly in their lives/work/investments would lead most to make better decisions I think. Emotions and bias and prejudice / preconceptions lead to a lot of mistakes.

A lot of economist didn’t even see the bubble coming and there are plenty of stock market “experts” as well…

[Author]

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