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by robertlagrant 786 days ago
> We can teach and train a chemist to work in a lab - but one who groks it?

This happens a lot in mature fields. Mechanics generally can't design cars. Doctors generally can't come up with drugs. IT staff can't generally write software. Pilots can't generally design aeroplanes. Homeowners can't generally build houses. The operator/builder split is real!
1 comments
eesmith 786 days ago
Aren't your examples also true about immature fields?

Very few doctors have every come up with drugs.

Few of the early pilots after the Wrights designed their own airplanes, but airplanes were certainly not mature by 1912.

When did home building change from an immature field to a mature one? I struggle to think of when most homeowners built houses.

Saying "IT staff can't generally write software" sounds like saying "sailors can't generally pilot a large vessel" - both are specialized abilities in a larger field.

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robertlagrant 786 days ago
> Saying "IT staff can't generally write software" sounds like saying "sailors can't generally pilot a large vessel" - both are specialized abilities in a larger field.

I'm not saying they aren't. That's why I said that there's a gap between build and operate.

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eesmith 786 days ago
It still has nothing to do with the maturity of the field.

How many astronauts could design a rocket that could get to space? I believe the answer is zero, irrespective of maturity.

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