Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo

Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo by InclinedPlane on Monday August 07, 2017 @09:55PM (#14952976)

What does that have to do with anything? Do you think having an advanced degree makes you invulnerable to common biases or errors in reasoning? Do you think that having a STEM degree makes someone knowledgeable in issues of sociology? Ben Carson is a very accomplished neurosurgeon, and yet he has enormous gaping voids in his knowledge of other subjects.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo by wyclif on Monday August 07, 2017 @10:20PM (#14953224)

I didn't say he was infallible. He could be wrong. I'm talking about academic credibility—and he has it.

a STEM degree

A STEM PhD from Harvard. FTFY. And comparing James Damore to Ben Carson is, frankly, absurd. James Damore is not a politician, he's a scientist. He's not some yahoo in a comment thread, arguing with academics and professionals in their field from his parent's basement.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Fires Employee Behind Controversial Diversity Memo by evolve2017 on Monday August 07, 2017 @10:30PM (#14953340)

You're highlighting another big problem these days, slavish reverence for the 'best schools'.

I will also get a PhD from Harvard, and from a more selective program than this person. Yet I recognize the limits of my knowledge.

Studying microbes [1] does not give you the standing to discuss sociology. If your very well-qualified dentist wanted to do a code review of your last commit, you might think twice before accepting his advice - namely, you would ask what special knowledge he has, besides being a generally smart individual.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Damore%20JA%5BAuth...

[ Parent | on HN ]