Most commonly misunderstood field of study?

Middleclass · Post by **Middleclass** » 2004-04-20 05:15pm

It seems that everyone and their dog has an opinion on my subject of choice (economics), and while I have some very nice conversations with people who bother to read, most people seem to think that they understand all of it's beautiful complexities without serious study.

My question for you all: what field of study is most commonly misunderstood, in your opinion? A misunderstanding could be mistaken views that are not held by the study, but will not be relinquished by the claimant anyway, or it could just be a gross lack of any real knowledge where there really should be, as is the case with the hard sciences, I imagine.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-04-20 05:20pm

Anthropology seems to be consistently misunderstood frequently by morons like young earth believers and fundamentalists.

Middleclass · Post by **Middleclass** » 2004-04-20 05:21pm

Darth_Zod wrote:Anthropology seems to be consistently misunderstood frequently by morons like young earth believers and fundamentalists.

Ach, good call. I knew I had left out some major field of misunderstanding.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 05:24pm

Darth_Zod wrote:Anthropology seems to be consistently misunderstood frequently by morons like young earth believers and fundamentalists.

By that extension, biology in general.

Gerard_Paloma · Post by **Gerard_Paloma** » 2004-04-20 05:38pm

Middleclass wrote:It seems that everyone and their dog has an opinion on my subject of choice (economics), and while I have some very nice conversations with people who bother to read, most people seem to think that they understand all of it's beautiful complexities without serious study.

Heh, before I even clicked on the thread, I said to myself, "Economics."

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 05:41pm

I did around two years of economics and have a bro with over twice that under his belt. So when economics comes up, I typically have an idea what to say or keep my trap shut.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2004-04-20 05:44pm

Genetics. including: population genetics, forensic genetics, cloning, etc etc.

It's amazing how many people think DNA is some sort of holy grail, and that we can know everything ever about everyone by looking at their double helices.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 05:49pm

InnerBrat wrote:Genetics. including: population genetics, forensic genetics, cloning, etc etc.

It's amazing how many people think DNA is some sort of holy grail, and that we can know everything ever about everyone by looking at their double helices.

Fuckin' A!

The next time someone comes up to me and asks if we've cloned sheep or will terrorists bring back Hitler or can a rabbit and human hybrid be made I'll just batter them with a convenient blunt object.

It is eerie though, but a lot more of our DNA seems to make us up socially now than we thought, but it's still not perfect.

ukamikazu · Post by **ukamikazu** » 2004-04-20 06:46pm

Philosophy, which is my field. This, and Economics seem to have the highest per capita rate of armchair scholars who misapply and take out of context anything they can to justify what ever pet point of view seems fashionable to them at the moment.

...Or at least appear truly great and intellectual to their little groupies. I'm sure you've all seen that phenomenon.

Fucking tourists...

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-20 07:09pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
InnerBrat wrote:Genetics. including: population genetics, forensic genetics, cloning, etc etc.

It's amazing how many people think DNA is some sort of holy grail, and that we can know everything ever about everyone by looking at their double helices.
Fuckin' A!

The next time someone comes up to me and asks if we've cloned sheep or will terrorists bring back Hitler or can a rabbit and human hybrid be made I'll just batter them with a convenient blunt object.

It is eerie though, but a lot more of our DNA seems to make us up socially now than we thought, but it's still not perfect.

I have to agree with you. Hell, I am writing a 27 page paper(the assignment was 3 pages but what the hell?) on cloning, and genetic modification. For no other reason than to get my teacher to actually understand what the fuck she is talking about.

(Yes my english teacher is a stupid cunt)

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 07:10pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote: I have to agree with you. Hell, I am writing a 27 page paper(the assignment was 3 pages but what the hell?) on cloning, and genetic modification. For no other reason than to get my teacher to actually understand what the fuck she is talking about.

(Yes my english teacher is a stupid cunt)

Oi vey! But you're an odd one. I've got an exam on genetics tomorrow, uh, in 14 hours I mean and I'm struggling to recall half the shit I learnt this term.

Send me that essay, I want a crash course.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-20 07:12pm

I am just starting on it. But when it is finished, you will get a copy.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 07:13pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I am just starting on it. But when it is finished, you will get a copy.

I'm guessing you won't have it by 1400BST today then?

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-20 07:20pm

No, probably not

Post by **Zaia** » 2004-04-20 07:23pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:I have to agree with you. Hell, I am writing a 27 page paper(the assignment was 3 pages but what the hell?) on cloning, and genetic modification. For no other reason than to get my teacher to actually understand what the fuck she is talking about.

(Yes my english teacher is a stupid cunt)

And this brings me to the fact that I believe teachers are very often misunderstood, as to what their expertise is truly in vs. what they are made to teach, what they have to go through in order to get certification, the strong psych background and understanding needed to really excel at teaching, the exceptional communication skills needed to explain things a dozen ways if necessary... We don't just warm the classrooms with our body heat.

Obviously I don't know your teacher, Aly, and I'm not giving her an excuse to be ill-informed about the world in general, but her speciality is English, not genetics. Cut her a little slack, would you please? Teachers don't get paid well enough to be experts in every subject, so some topics out of our area of study are weaker than others.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-04-20 07:25pm

Zaia speaks the truth for she is the great teacher of SD.net!

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-20 07:35pm

I'd say science in general is grossly misunderstood. There is a big difference between memorizing facts about something and actually understanding it. How many people actually understand what the scientific method is, or why "it's only a theory" is not a valid rebuttal?

Science is beset with all manner of people running around who have memorized countless factoids about it, but how many people actually understand the underlying philosophy of it? I say all of science is misunderstood, which in some ways is worse than simply being ignorant; at least the ignorant person is likely to admit his ignorance when challenged; people with gross misconceptions of the fundamental nature of science are usually reluctant to relinquish them.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-20 07:41pm

Oh, I agreee with her as well. However, this particular teacher gets on my nerves.

1) It is a college prep english class and she treats us like we are in Principles of English 1. She walks us through writing an MLA citation, and cant seem to grasp the fact that the vast majority of us know how to write an essay. She insists on walking is through THAT as well, and Heaven help us if we work ahead.

She also insists on wasting our valuable class time to learn vocabulary words that anyone who passed their other english classes should know, or at least be capable of figuring out. Words like "Desist" "Desecrate" and "Contagion"

2) She actively holds back the more intelligent people in the class. There are a few people in the class who are not that bright. I am the first to say it. But she will bring up the topic of the Human Genome Project, and not even allow me to speak because "Your knowledge of the subject irritates the rest of the class" What The Fuck?

It is as if she intentionally tries to patronize us and basically keep the cream from rising to the the top in her class, for the benifit of those that shouldnt have taken the class to begin with.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-20 07:53pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:2) She actively holds back the more intelligent people in the class. There are a few people in the class who are not that bright. I am the first to say it. But she will bring up the topic of the Human Genome Project, and not even allow me to speak because "Your knowledge of the subject irritates the rest of the class" What The Fuck?

That is not an unusual attitude among educators. Many teachers feel that their job is to make the slowest kids in the class do better, and that the smarter kids can be almost ignored because "they can take care of themselves". This is virtually considered an unwritten policy in some school boards.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-20 08:10pm

Dare I say it? Music. Its not a scientific field of study, but give us some credit. "Just muscle memory" my ass.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-04-20 08:19pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Alyrium Denryle wrote:2) She actively holds back the more intelligent people in the class. There are a few people in the class who are not that bright. I am the first to say it. But she will bring up the topic of the Human Genome Project, and not even allow me to speak because "Your knowledge of the subject irritates the rest of the class" What The Fuck?
That is not an unusual attitude among educators. Many teachers feel that their job is to make the slowest kids in the class do better, and that the smarter kids can be almost ignored because "they can take care of themselves". This is virtually considered an unwritten policy in some school boards.

I have never had a teacher before this one that has done it to this extent. She chewed out one of my friends for having the audacity to have his work finished and be working on something for another class.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-04-20 08:24pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Dare I say it? Music. Its not a scientific field of study, but give us some credit. "Just muscle memory" my ass.

What is playing music but memorization and practice? Sure as hell in my five-six years of playing the piano I saw nothing else.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-20 08:35pm

Howedar wrote:
Rogue 9 wrote:Dare I say it? Music. Its not a scientific field of study, but give us some credit. "Just muscle memory" my ass.
What is playing music but memorization and practice? Sure as hell in my five-six years of playing the piano I saw nothing else.

Then frankly you didn't have a very good teacher. Either that, or you're glossing over a lot of knowledge about chord structure and the underlying theory that you should have learned.

Further, since you did ask what beyond memorization and practice, there's this little thing we like to call sightreading, but I don't think that's what you meant.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-04-20 08:35pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Dare I say it? Music. Its not a scientific field of study, but give us some credit. "Just muscle memory" my ass.

The barrier to doing well in music is usually skill, rather than understanding. It is a highly skilled art, of course, but it is not something where conceptual comprehension is generally an issue.

Trytostaydead · Post by **Trytostaydead** » 2004-04-20 08:36pm

Hmmm, I'd have to go with neuro. A field that's not only grossly misunderstood by the average Joe, but a field that's also misunderstood by many professionals. Actually, misunderstood is the wrong word. Neuro is surely one of those scienfitic fields where you can probably attribute most of the unknowns to the supernatural and have that guess be just as valid as the next.

There is almost no rhyme nor reason to how it works. The only pieces that we can SCIENTIFICALLY deduce really are the ones where we can ablate neurons and see what it does (just being generaltive here). But the REAL advances in neuro are done by sheer blind luck or from the most unseeming of places. Everything else we've been doing in between is just polish work.

I like to compare the study of neuro to two things:

1) The study of anatomy by means of shadows. You develop the technology to create light and you project the shadow of your hand. How much can you really learn about your hand from that shadow? And then you play with both hands and it becoems a LOT more complicated to deduce any information.
2) If you take a computer back to two hundred years when they first started playing with electricity, no keyboard, monitor, mouse, etc and give it to people to study. Then go forward fifty or a hundred years, you have to wonder what those people will have discovered about a computer?

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