It is completely inexcusable that people in STEM fields are so reactionary, considering how capitalism utterly destroys science.

If universities were actually "left wing indoctrination factories" like the right thinks they are, every STEM grad would be taught, for example, what Kropotkin had to say about innovation.

  • Liberalism [he/him,they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Well, it's that expectation that competent engineers are good at math and physics that's the problem.

    Sure, compared to the average person, an engineer might have an enormous knowledge of those fields, but if you're talking about the cutting edge, you've delved into a completely different subject area. The best engineer in the world isn't necessarily qualified to say shit about real academic mathematics.

    So, you have good engineers who know everything they need to know and perform their jobs excellently getting the impression that the're good at math and physics, not just compared to the average person, but compared to mathematicians and physicists, leading them to embarrass themselves when they try and speak with authority.

    • dayruiner [they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Engineers are good at specific forms of applied math. Academic mathematics can be so completely different and esoteric that it's really more in line with philosophy than with engineering.