While hexadecimal is very relevant in computers, very few new CS majors ever use it. They would have no idea how to read a core dump.
Math is easy…psychology is confusing.
For some jokes are confusing, such as “What is the metric equivalent of Pi?”.
Likewise Celsius makes a lot more sense than Fahrenheit.
But next time I shop for a boat I think I will look for an LOA In cubits.
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@MikeInNH I have been retired for 10 years and must have taught “geezer computer science” classes. If a student couldn’t read a core dump, the student didn’t pass my class.
I told my students to think powers of two–2,4,8, 16, 32… and then converting among the bases of binary, decimal and hexadecimal was simple.
I am still.of the belief that the more mathematics a person understands, the easier computer science courses are able to be mastered.
When I graduated high-school I don’t think there was even one school that offered a degree in computer science. You could get a BS in Mathematics with an emphasis on computers.
Computer Science degrees differ greatly from college to college. Some follow the IEEE Computer Science curriculum. Some follow their own. Even still you can work your electives so you never have to see a core dump. And with modern compilers/linkers and debuggers there really is no need to understanding a core dump. In fact I’m not sure they are even produced any more. But I haven’t worked on IBM mainframes in decades.
@MikeInNH I’ve been retired for 10 years, so I don’t know what the computer science curricula are at different institutions. I do know that before I retired, I taught a course in computer simulation which required a knowledge of statistical distributions. One if my colleague taught a course in computer vision which required a knowledge of Fourier transformations. A knowledge of linear algebra including eigenvalues is needed for a real understanding in a computer graphics course.
I led the charge at my institution to separate computer science from the mathematics department back in the early 1980s. In some ways, I think.I made a mistake. It would have been easier with math and computer science in the same department to be sure to cover important statistical distributions in the probability and statistics courses and to do the Fourier transformations in advanced calculus.
I had no computer science courses until I was in graduate school earning a degree in applied statistics and research design. I took the only two courses available which were undergrad courses.
When I was in college during the mid 1970s young women at the school I attended found it very difficult to be allowed into higher level math classes and/or computer classes even with proven competency in mathematics, analysis, etc.
Same closed door attitude to allowing women into engineering and pre-med classes.
In junior high girls were barred from taking shop class. Even in kindgarden I was repeatedly told by the teacher not to opt for the woodworking activity but instead to play with dolls. In high school I was one of only five girls in chemistry class and one of three girls in physics class, having had difficulty being allowed into either class
As it turns out my abilities, interests, and skills ended up in communications but I truly wish that school systems from K through college had been welcoming to girls and women exploring such fields as math, computers, engineering, pre-med, sciences, etc.
I love that a friend who is an engineer raised his daughter to learn how to do all sorts of basic car maintenance, house repairs, etc. while also being a very feminine lady. Not surprisingly, she became an engineer, one of the very few women in her engineering classes, especially as she earned advanced post-graduate degrees and certifications.
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It’s really interesting to note that many of these “optional” safety features, such as ABS, traction control and automatic headlights are standard in all new cars today. Anyways, my two cents. They have a display on the dashboard that lets you know that the turn signals are working correctly but why don’t they have anything “standard” in all car that lets the driver know that a brake light is out?
@Marnet Last Saturday afternoon, one if the concert bands I play in did a side by side concert with players from a high school band. I had the privilege of having a female sophomore horn player share the first horn stand with me. When I asked her about her future plans, she said she wants to go to college and study engineering, probably electrical engineering. She was quite an attractive young lady and also a good horn player.
Fifteen years ago, a colleague and I published a study about success of students in freshman mathematics, both general studies mathematics and calculus. We had a data set of over 10,000 students over a five year period at two institutions, a mid sized state university and a small private liberal arts college. In both courses, the female students outperformed the male students.
I find it interesting that the chief engineer on the Ford Lightning electric pickup is a woman who immigrated to this country with her parents when she was nine years old.
We need all the brain power that we can muster up in this nation. The gender or nationality makes no difference.
I began my teaching career as a graduate assistant in the fall of 1962. I have seen many talented students, both male and female and if all races and nationalities.
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They had that years ago in some premium car brands and some top trim lines of more popularly priced cars. It was done with fiber optics.
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@Triedaq I have a grand-niece in college studying architecture. I’m so proud of her.
I had it in my 1979 Mustang. Do you know how many cars I see everyday with a brake light out and the drivers don’t even know it?
Maybe Oregon State University was more inclusive in the later 60’s but Mom didn’t encounter any difficulties majoring in Mathematics Education, met Dad when they took the same Physical Chrmistry class and he needed some help with his math course. He transferred out there planning to follow Jacques Cousteau’s career path until he saw the boat that the university sent students out on, Chemistry major instead.
Older brother got some grants for being a guy going into Nursing which paid some of the tuition although books cost just as much each quarter.
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There are so many disciplines within CS that you can easily avoid a lot of the heavy math and nitty gritty Bits and Bytes.
I was in high-school in the 60’s and college in early 70’s after Nam…and we didn’t have those restrictions. There weren’t a lot of women in the CS or Math program, but they were NOT barred from it. In fact they were encouraged to. I guess it depends on were you went to college and high-school.
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My brother attended junior high school in the early '50s, and at his school, the boys were required to take one semester of Home Economics (cooking), and the girls were required to take one semester of Wood Shop. I think that his school was very progressive for the time.
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Do you know how many cars I see with the check engine light on and the drivers don’t even CARE? I’m not making this up, I can see their dashboards from the high seat in my truck with the yellow CEL glowing brightly.
Even if the car told the driver the light was out, many would ignore it, unless the car refused to start because of it. We get many people here that ignore warning lights and then wonder why their car blew an engine.
Because the government mandated they be made standard. Well, not the automatic headlights, but the other 2 as well as electronic stability control and airbags.
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Several years ago, we had a drive-by post from a woman in–I think–Maine, whose post read more or less as follows:
The Check Engine Light in my Suzuki has been on for the past 16 years. What is wrong with it?
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My top 3 things that should be standard
- Moonroof
- Car Alarm
- GPS navigation
Need a designated space on the dash for an Ozzie Osborne bobblehead.
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Your top 3 what ? Wants or don’t want .