News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI. Parent comment

Re:72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI by echelon on Thursday December 29, 2022 @01:49AM (#34170209)
> The reality is that most people's mental abilities have started to decline by this age, particularly the capacity to learn new things.

I agree with the first statement, but more of a function of accumulated metabolic and cognitive dysfunction than merely age.

I don't think the second statement necessarily follows. Time spent fully engrossed in a subject, where the learner is able to put away their ego and learn as a child would, is what is conducive to good learning. That can happen at any age, but in practice, seldom does due to the demanding structure of adult life.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI by wolverine876 on Thursday December 29, 2022 @02:24AM (#34170372)
> Time spent fully engrossed in a subject, where the learner is able to put away their ego and learn as a child would, is what is conducive to good learning. That can happen at any age, but in practice, seldom does due to the demanding structure of adult life.

That's what I'm talking about, but don't blame some external force for that outcome. It's a choice; it's about priorities. If you give yourself time for a little growth, I think you'll net much greater productivity overall - including emotional presence for your family.

[ Parent | on HN ]