72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI • Hacker News Board

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#121

Post by HWR_14 » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 9:59 AM UTC

jrumbut wrote: post #111

themodelplumber wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The currently new core of cultural values will solidify and there will be some new level of general practice to act on those values. IOW values will fall in line in a general way as they usually do, once the battle lines fade. Diehards will be way more awkward and will fade as attention moves away from them. These were never quality positions in the first place though. You'll probably see new silent generation(s) com…

The last silent generation (those a bit too young to fight in WW2 but born before the baby boom) was created by the distribution of massive new rewards. A lot of people were born poor but quickly became middle class. The system worked for them early and often, so they learned not to question it. That seems unlikely in the near future, to me anyway. Perhaps the mechanism for a new one would be avoiding repeats of the…

The term "silent generation" was already in wide use when the oldest members of the silent generation were 23 (and the youngest were 6). It wasn't coined because the system working so well for them.

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#122

Post by ngoilapites » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 10:00 AM UTC

082349872349872 wrote: post #116

ngoilapites wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, is not only our brain and its gradual natural change, it is also the unsurmountable unavoidable attention-consuming routines.

Those I avoid. Kids are grown and I have enough financial options to be picky with my contracts, so YMMV. (and, come to think of it, I've finally convinced my spouse of the value of letting me have 4-hour blocks of focus time)

These are valuable suggestions indeed. As per my spouse, she sees the value of letting me away to fully switch off (hike, surf, other sportish activity) one week or 10 days every 6-8 months. I am much fresher after these breaks.

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#123

Post by willeum » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 12:25 PM UTC

onion2k wrote: post #51

wolverine876 wrote: post #7

A major problem in our society is that '72-year-old' is in the headline. If you are not growing, you are declining or dead. Not only does the world change under your feet, you need that stimulation just to stay healthy. We ruin the talent, economic value, and freedom and opportunity of a very large portion of the population by dimissing the growth of anyone in late middle-age or later. 72 years old shouldn't be remar…

If you are not growing, you are declining or dead. What's wrong with retiring and living out your last years peacefully relaxing with your hobbies and family? There's absolutely no reason why people have to continually grow until they're in the ground. You're applying an adage about companies to people, but companies need to fight against inflation, and people don't.

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#124

Post by fnordpiglet » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 1:50 PM UTC

gamesbrainiac wrote: post #5

This is so refreshing to read, but so very rare. I thought the "I don't know, but I'll find out" crowd died out in politics.

I think it’s more drowned out than died out.

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#125

Post by morelisp » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 2:08 PM UTC

peter_retief wrote: post #110

I am 61 and did Andy Ngo's specialization Machine Learning course through Courser and Stanford (Which I loved). If you are lucky enough to have your health as you get older it is a privilege and an honour to be able to study and continue your education.

I think you mean Andrew Ng's...

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#126

Post by kennyadam » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 3:02 PM UTC

todd3834 wrote: post #79

When I was the common age to go to college I didn’t want anything to do with school. It worked out and I’ve worked as an engineer at several FAANG and the like. However, what I wouldn’t give to have the freedom and lack of responsibilities to be able to go to college now. Not for the parties, I did plenty of that and it’s completely out of my system. I’m jealous of being able to dedicate the majority of the time stud…

Given that you earn more than most people ever will, do you not think you could save and attend school when you want?

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#127

Post by stevesimmons » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 3:03 PM UTC

ownlife wrote: post #9

wolverine876 wrote: post #7

A major problem in our society is that '72-year-old' is in the headline. If you are not growing, you are declining or dead. Not only does the world change under your feet, you need that stimulation just to stay healthy. We ruin the talent, economic value, and freedom and opportunity of a very large portion of the population by dimissing the growth of anyone in late middle-age or later. 72 years old shouldn't be remar…

I love this perspective. That it's aberrant for a man at his age to pursue further education reflects our society's out-dated view that education is something to be pursued one time and when young.

My father did a Masters of Mechanical Engineering at age 70, as a full time degree. The only affordance to his age was being given an extra hour in the exams.

Following that, he started a Masters of Aeronautical Engineering. Until my mum suggested he spends more time with her at home.

Now he does gym circuit training with a group half his age, at 6am three mornings a week.

Hope I have that energy when I am his age...

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#128

Post by themodelplumber » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 3:40 PM UTC

themitigating wrote: post #113

themodelplumber wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The currently new core of cultural values will solidify and there will be some new level of general practice to act on those values. IOW values will fall in line in a general way as they usually do, once the battle lines fade. Diehards will be way more awkward and will fade as attention moves away from them. These were never quality positions in the first place though. You'll probably see new silent generation(s) com…

"Anecdotally one will still be able to see whatever one needs to see in government to reflect preferred perspectives" What? I read your post several times until I realized you're saying nothing with a huge amount of fluff

> What?

This means you'll tend to look for reflections of your _personal_ gifts / lack of them, within government. "Gifts" is synonymous with your preferred perspectives on things. E.g. if you are attuned to watching for moral quality, you'll naturally develop gifts in that area and look for matching gifts/blindspots in that area on the part of your government.

Or if you are yourself a deep thinker, you'll bias yourself toward pointing out fluff--this phenomenon is generally independent of, and out of proportion to, others' perspectives, like even if they say "hey let's ask for clarity before throwing out critique" or whatever, you may tend to go "nah I just got a feeling" and make a judgment call because this feels right to you.

So to develop a circumspect (higher quality) POV on government & processees, you'll want to cover that blind spot by looking at objective measurements, for example. That could look like asking "how could I measure that," rather than rewarding subjective bias.

Then with subjective bias, working in parallel to the objective improvements, you also want to integrate subjective means for raising the quality level.

Please see profile--I lean toward not giving specifics / examples for this stuff anymore because it's a waste of my time & experience. I stare at relevant 3rd party data/charts which connect back to archetype (housing charts, broader national/intl economy, and so on) and make charts all day, and broader 1Y+ charts speak for themselves in a lot of cases (long-term cyclical reversion to mean for example). Accordingly, broader comments are intentionally broad and such comments will naturally seem fluffier.

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#129

Post by rychco » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 4:10 PM UTC

wankle wrote: post #27

rychco wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because aging politicians do not adequately represent the majority of their constituents.

Given that the publicly accepted view of aging is that we are all living longer; the math does not support your view.

The math is on my side. The average age of 117th Congress is 59, while the average US citizen is 38 (at the time of this being noted in 2021).

Re: 72-year-old Congressman pursues a Master's in AI

#130

Post by snowwrestler » Thu, Dec 29, 2022, 4:44 PM UTC

neilv wrote: post #90

> The proctor administering an exam in his pre-calc class this spring leaned in and whispered, “What are you doing here?” as Beyer handed in his test. I could read that multiple ways, but it doesn't sound good, not when we should already be sensitized not to discourage people. Imagine saying that to a more familiar kind of less-represented student. The next time someone asks why a university needs initiatives in dive…

It’s obviously because the proctor recognized Rep. Don Beyer, who is well-known in the area, and wondered why a sitting U.S. Congressman was taking an undergraduate college course.