I have a dream, where all knowledge is free. Anyone can learn anything they are interested without formal education (schooling). Even with the internet and libraries, people cant attain knowledge up to even a bachelor's degree level. Do you think it is possible though?
nothing is free.
even the air you are breathing in, our govt. paid for it by buying and planting trees down your block
Wah lau! Jiani you are very perceptive.
In the past I have posted in some threads here highlight the existing of online degree which is offered by some "famous" US universities like Columbia University : http://www.cvn.columbia.edu and immediately sceptic people start to say they are not prestigious, not recognzied and if it is people wouldn't go to NUS, NTU etc. Even you study in private school here, it is still "risky" as the local government didn't "recognized" some distance learning distance degree due to degree mill etc. Get this kind of narrow-minded thinking how to make learning possibly fun and usefully ?
The beneficiary may learn at the cost of nothing. But someone else has to pay.
eg. Temple give out free meals. The one that eats don't have to pay anything. But someone else have paid for the food, the utilities. Same goes for free education, someone else pays.
Who can sustain paying for the benefit of others?
Originally posted by mancha:Wah lau! Jiani you are very perceptive.
what does jiani have anything todowith this?
What about through books, and thing published online?
Originally posted by Siliconchip:what does jiani have anything todowith this?
She is not superficial, she can see several levels into a topic.
I think it is possible, i have friends who understand the theory by reading the textbook once and able to apply them in practical situations.
The only problem now is no matter how good one is at studying, you still need to pay the university a sum of money to buy the degree
Originally posted by Siliconchip:What about through books, and thing published online?
thats not free too.
a lot of effort is taken to keep internet going.
Originally posted by Summer hill:thats not free too.
a lot of effort is taken to keep internet going.
I am not talking about it being free, I am asking about self education, as opposed to 'buying a degree' as pillow said. Like in the movie 'Good Will Hunting', where Matt Damon's character has educated himself, on his own time, to the point of having genius-level intellect.
You would need to be discipline and self motivated amongst the many other attribute needed to self study which is where many people have already failed even before they begain.
Being in a school also helps to train your sociability, something that self studying can never do.
education is forever. it doesn't end just because you left school. =)
Originally posted by FunGuyWorkaholic:education is forever. it doesn't end just because you left school. =)
I am talking about education in disciplines such as Mathematic, physics, engineering, etc.
Unfortunately the idea of intellectual property prevents anything to be "free". At least in the immediate sense.
I think its possible to attain genius level without going to an actual "school". It is just like home-schooling. If you have the right material, I am sure you will do fine. The only problem is that in the real world, you have to back it up with your credentials. The system demands it. Or else everyone can be a "genius" like in sgforums without any proof of credentials whatsoever.
Originally posted by Siliconchip:I am talking about education in disciplines such as Mathematic, physics, engineering, etc.
I'm talking about everything in general, and that includes your mentioned topics. For example I am a post graduate on business and technology. After I graduated, I went to research on quantum mechanics on my own. Of course the more I dig, the more interesting it gets, and that gets me to learn even more... For example, do you know some liquid stays in the container and under the right temperature, it will leak out of the container? Do you know that liquid can climb containers? Do you know about the M Theory? Do you know we're mostly made out of empty space? Do you know we're made from the same material as the non-living things such as tables/chairs, so what makes us alive? Do you know that recently NASA realize that life can be in forms we never thought possible before? Basically what they mean is that life is no longer limited by what we thought was originally the necessity for the building blocks of life, because they managed to create a new life form that is built up of something else... Do you know that scientists have managed to create synthetic life out of chemicals, well in some ways, it's a breakthrough nonetheless... Do you know what is the observable universe? Do you know how many dimensions there are in this world theoratically and how scientists are trying to find evidence of those other dimensions? And then of course I also read about the double slit theory and how electrons can be at many places at 1 time... I can go on and on about what I researched so far but it's a long list but those mentioned are part of it. So yeah, I love physics and I educate myself on my free time on these amazing things!!!
And then of course also other topics I research on totally different from physics like NDE, evidence of afterlife? Or even more mainstream topics such as marketing which I been reading up recently...
If you have the willpower to learn, there is nothing to stop you.
hey, Funguy,
where did you read that liquid is able to flow out of a container under the right temperature? that's new to me
based on my understanding, it is due to the smaller molecule size of the liquid being able to squeeze through the spaces between molecules of the container
Originally posted by FunGuyWorkaholic:
I'm talking about everything in general, and that includes your mentioned topics. For example I am a post graduate on business and technology. After I graduated, I went to research on quantum mechanics on my own. Of course the more I dig, the more interesting it gets, and that gets me to learn even more... For example, do you know some liquid stays in the container and under the right temperature, it will leak out of the container? Do you know that liquid can climb containers? Do you know about the M Theory? Do you know we're mostly made out of empty space? Do you know we're made from the same material as the non-living things such as tables/chairs, so what makes us alive? Do you know that recently NASA realize that life can be in forms we never thought possible before? Basically what they mean is that life is no longer limited by what we thought was originally the necessity for the building blocks of life, because they managed to create a new life form that is built up of something else... Do you know that scientists have managed to create synthetic life out of chemicals, well in some ways, it's a breakthrough nonetheless... Do you know what is the observable universe? Do you know how many dimensions there are in this world theoratically and how scientists are trying to find evidence of those other dimensions? And then of course I also read about the double slit theory and how electrons can be at many places at 1 time... I can go on and on about what I researched so far but it's a long list but those mentioned are part of it. So yeah, I love physics and I educate myself on my free time on these amazing things!!!
wow i myself is highly interested in such topics.
but now, no choice, need to concentrate on studies
Originally posted by FunGuyWorkaholic:
I'm talking about everything in general, and that includes your mentioned topics. For example I am a post graduate on business and technology. After I graduated, I went to research on quantum mechanics on my own. Of course the more I dig, the more interesting it gets, and that gets me to learn even more... For example, do you know some liquid stays in the container and under the right temperature, it will leak out of the container? Do you know that liquid can climb containers? Do you know about the M Theory? Do you know we're mostly made out of empty space? Do you know we're made from the same material as the non-living things such as tables/chairs, so what makes us alive? Do you know that recently NASA realize that life can be in forms we never thought possible before? Basically what they mean is that life is no longer limited by what we thought was originally the necessity for the building blocks of life, because they managed to create a new life form that is built up of something else... Do you know that scientists have managed to create synthetic life out of chemicals, well in some ways, it's a breakthrough nonetheless... Do you know what is the observable universe? Do you know how many dimensions there are in this world theoratically and how scientists are trying to find evidence of those other dimensions? And then of course I also read about the double slit theory and how electrons can be at many places at 1 time... I can go on and on about what I researched so far but it's a long list but those mentioned are part of it. So yeah, I love physics and I educate myself on my free time on these amazing things!!!
Don't go OT, and tell about all your research. Let's keep to the topic of autodidactism.
FunGuy just showed it is possible.
But to obtain the certification from a prestigeous institute of learning without cost, is not possible.
Unless they give you an honorary award in recogniton of your great contribution to the field that you have chosen.
Originally posted by Summer hill:wow i myself is highly interested in such topics.
but now, no choice, need to concentrate on studies
You can subscribe to Starhub cable TV education package like Discovery Channel/Science, National Geographic and History Channel to watch these deep("chin") science topic. In fact the show "Through the wormhole with Morgan Freeman" which broadcast in Discovery Science channel do cover on FunGuyWorkaholic 's "research" on quantum theory.
Originally posted by M the name:You can subscribe to Starhub cable TV education package like Discovery Channel/Science, National Geographic and History Channel to watch these deep("chin") science topic. In fact the show "Through the wormhole with Morgan Freeman" which broadcast in Discovery Science channel do cover on FunGuyWorkaholic 's "research" on quantum theory.
Lol.
Originally posted by Mr Milo:
hey, Funguy,
where did you read that liquid is able to flow out of a container under the right temperature? that's new to me
based on my understanding, it is due to the smaller molecule size of the liquid being able to squeeze through the spaces between molecules of the container
Go youtube and look at superfluid helium. =) They defy gravity because they have no viscosity.
And as for the smaller molecule size, not to my understanding. The liquid was staying inside the container without any problems all the time. But once the temperature went close to absolute zero, the atoms behaved differently and because they have no viscosity, they can keep flowing out through the solid container. Initially they couldn't because there's friction between the atoms but obviously you can't see with the naked eye, need to use imagination unless have state of the art microscope.
no viscosity?
that's unimaginable
how will it appear then?
nvm, i go check myself