ABOVE: NRI Schools This is the same philosophy as the NYIP course in professional photography. NRI was founded in 1914 and later acquired by McGraw-Hill, who shut down the schools in 2002. Too bad about that. My program in software engineering was superb, using university courses for purposes of comparison, and NRI had been an asset to working people for 88 years.
Any technician will tell you credentials are for employers. ASE Master Tech, and Service Technician's Society (STS) are examples of organizations that appoint themselves an authority on automotive technology. I've also been to manufacturer's schools for Saab, GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Mitsubishi. In USMC, I attended Jet Mechanics "A" School. (F-4b Phantom jets)
Below: UML Transcripts
Do educators know how to educate? Yes, they do! It's very magnanimous of UMASS to apportion high honors, but educators deserve the credit. We only need to listen and learn.
Below: New frontiers in laser physics.
Do or do not. There is no try.
An MS in Applied Physics concludes my paper chase. The payoff is increased scientific and mathematical literacy, which I can certainly put to good use. Education is rather expensive these days, but also an equitable transaction. Many thanks to the University of Massachusetts, and educators, past or present--especially Professor Gopal Rao, who knows much more than he lets on ...
Paper Chase
We live the age of specialization. Universities and organizations of all kinds insist. The more advanced a degree, the more specialized the training. This is logical, but logic does not mean we lead more satisfying lives with a narrow focus.
Above: New York Institute of Photography I've been doing photography since I was a kid, and decided to take a refresher course with NYIP. I already had a small business in photography, and prior undergraduate study in photography and art, so the general idea was to enjoy myself.
As it turned out, the NYIP course is a gem! They have been teaching photography for almost a
hundred years, and the presentation is quite refined. Materials are very well written, and cut right
to the chase. By my estimate, breadth is equivalent to several undergraduate courses, and the more important
elements of the craft are covered in depth. My certificate is a link to the NYIP site, for curious
visitors. I highly recommend NYIP's course in Professional Photography to anyone who enjoys
photography.
I am also taking the NYIP course in Digital Photography, which offers very good
Photoshop training. Photoshop is a complex and powerful beast; a course is beneficial. Because the art of
digital imaging is undergoing rapid transformation, it is not a simple matter to keep courses up
to date. A complete revision of this course is currently underway.
At Left: UMASS Lowell BS degree in Information Technology, and assorted certificates. I had only planned a few courses at UMASS, but the courses were much better than expected, so I transferred credit from Northeastern and completed a degree.
IT courses emphasize programming languages or scripts, and operating systems. I also did a few courses in web design, which have been be quite useful.
- Microsoft: Visual Basic, Advanced Visual Basic, Visual C++, Access Database
- Unix: ANSI C, C++, Perl, Shell Programming, UNIX OS, Data Structures
- Web Design, HTML
- Information Systems I and II
- Math: Statistics, Calculus, Discrete Structures
Northeastern courses were based a quarter-system, and did not translate into generous awards of credit when transferred to UMASS. I did 35 courses at NU, twenty years ago, but ran out of money in my senior year. When courses at both universities are summarized, you can see what I mean about being a generalist.
- Geology and Physical Science: 12 courses
- Mathematics: 5 courses
- Art/Humanities: 12 courses
- Social Sciences: 5 courses
- Finance/Economics: 12 courses
- Computer Science: 15 courses
I have 30 courses in math/science, 12 in the humanities, and 17 in the social sciences, if the courses are sorted. This is the view of information systems, where a collection of courses amount to a cerebral knowledge base.
At Left: Technician's Credentials Like artists everywhere, I have a practical line of work. Automotive technology is highly advanced, and very interesting. The pay is fairly good, so I was inclined to take time for my own interests, like travel and photography.
Below: an old snapshot, moments before I hit the road on a cross-country trek to Oregon. This sabbatical lasted several months. Touring North America by motorcycle, on numerous excursions, was a wonderful experience. I enjoy solitude, but have taken many trips with my wife. Two riders require a bigger bike!
Fixing cars is demanding work, but where else would I learn about mechanics, hydraulics, electronics, internal combustion, thermodynamics, HVAC, and microprocessor-controlled systems? To properly diagnose a wide range of problems, techs need to translate complaints into a diagnostic strategy. Detailed knowledge of system design and operation is required to do this, so I think of fellow techs as engineers, without the generous paychecks and social prestige.
Technicians work flat-rate, so income is tied to productivity. I wouldn't say the
atmosphere is one of harmony and enlightened management, but there is a balance. As technicians
are always saying: "toolboxes have wheels". This is the world of small business, and skilled
technicians are essential to success. Firms with labor problems are likely to fail.
Shops are like a hive of small businesses, working under one roof. I left the
hive years ago. It's a game for the young. Having enjoyed courses in computer science, I
charted a course to the bright new world of IT (cough, cough).
Computer science is the incredible shrinking profession, in spite of Department
of Labor forecasts, which consistently show the IT sector leading the economy in job growth.
However, IT consortia have formed around the idea of shipping jobs to foreign shores. Millions
of jobs simply disappeared, creating a large labor surplus at home and epic problems of unemployment.
By the time I graduated from UMASS in 2002, IT was essentially a closed shop. I am reminded of
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, because that is how workers and
young people see the world of IT. There has been a large exodus of IT workers to other professions,
and students avoid computer science like the plague. It is an open question whether industry creates
jobs, or if the availability of a skilled workforce creates industry. We can't have one without the
other, and the IT Sector seems to living on borrowed time.
It is darkly entertaining to find IT luminaries, including Bill Gates, touring universities with a
message of opportunity. Bright young people know the kindly Dr. Jekyll is also Mr. Hyde,
a heartless monster responsible for millions of IT refugees! This is what IT execs are worried
about:
Workers are disappearing fast at both ends of the IT labor pipeline, as boomers retire.
Morale and worker satisfaction is very low, and labor costs are spiraling out of control
as firms are forced import large numbers of foreign workers. IT has always been boom or bust,
but this situation is more like a dull thud. After some reflection, I am inclined to agree
with the kids, who do not see CS/IT as a viable profession. Our cerebral toolboxes also
have wheels, and I have other interests...
Physics
In 2006, I enrolled in graduate physics, at UMASS Boston. By this time, I have finished all the
courses for an MS degree. The courses are all very demanding, but I am still kicking with a
3.2 GPA.
- Analog Electronics with lab
- Digital Electronics with lab
- Semiconductor Materials
- Mathematical Methods for Physicists
- Laser Optics with lab
- Advanced Laser Optics with lab
- Quantum Mechanics
A thesis is planned this planned this fall. We will use the department's $$massively parallel$$ computer to simulate behavior of Bose-Einstein Condensates (BEC). The world of quantum mechanics is often strange, but BEC is just astonishing. This is a phenomenon that occurs at temperatures near absolute zero (nanokelvin physics), and involves quantum theory, laser optics, EM Theory, thermodynamics and other areas of physics.
Though my workload is frequently very heavy, this has been a fascinating and enriching experience. I have always been interested in the earth sciences, astrophysics, cosmology, particle physics, quantum theory, string theory and other subjects--but armchair physics leaves much to be desired. Physics is a discipline that requires effort, mental clarity, and the considerable skills of educators. Physics is also an experimental science--that is why 4 courses + a thesis require lab work.
You could say I already was a physicist. Computer science is physics, because computers are physical systems. They begin in some initial state, and undergo action to reach a new state. Binary mathematics is a subsystem of the quantum qubit, utilizing two of four available states. A qubit is the same quantum system physicists use to describe photons. A second computer revolution is brewing, in the landscape of quantum computing, where algorithms are designed using the whole qubit system. This is likely to be the game of the century, sending ripples through all of science and technology.