|
Although this guide can be used by any student to assist in understanding science, it's aimed specifically at astronomy and physics majors (those who intend on become astronomers, physicists or both). Equally, engineers (who apply physics and astronomy) will find this guide useful. It's designed on the expectations that all students will begin their research when their semester starts - immersing students in a research environment. A research environment is a very independent environment, so this guide is just that - a guide. Most universities give a step-by-step instruction with problems set, exams and lab reports. As well, they also design their programs to weed out - "weak students". This approach has resulted in a very high failure rate of 70 to 80% (based on graduation statistics from UC Santa Cruz). We don't here - here you must like to read and explore, because we don't assign a textbook. Every student must begin building their library from the first semester. It from your library that you will choose your texts to guide you through your studies. This also means that students don't have to worry about their GPA - because their success or failure is based on their research. While, it's considered that the GPA system is the best system (superior to all others). It's been found, through research, that the end result (a quality researcher) is not effected by the problem sets, exams or even the GPA. In fact, research from UC Santa Cruz on graduation rates, found that student entering with top SAT scores had only a graduation rate of only 50% (at best). This is in comparison to a maximum graduation rate of only 66% for all students. The research result means that a student entering with a top SAT score, intending on finishing has only a 50% chance of succeeding. Alternatively, 50% will fail. For students intending on finishing in astronomy, physics or engineering the statistics are worse. The worst statistics are for physics, with a success rate of only 20% (or an 80% failure rate). The numbers get even worse when extending them to include graduate students. This supports the argument that very few students actually end up with they career that they had wanted. Most settle for a fall back career.
The same cannot be said for this university. The difference comes in research experience. Here a university environment that is research oriented (based in objective philosophy), rather than GPA environment (based in subjective philosophy) is the best choice. It provides a path that does not weed out students based on subjective standards, but allows for true innovation and bleeding edge research. Standard universities must approve all research being done. Concepts and ideas that don't measure up are rejected. This is why Einstein was a patent clerk when he developed much of his work in physics. His position at an university was not secured until his work was recognized. Yet, true open universities should have such innovation occurring within their university, not added afterwards. In a truly objective university research, that may not be possible at the other subjective institutes, is possible. We make no predetermination on the thesis a student chooses to develop into a PhD thesis and then into a theory. The risks here are not that a student will fail out of a program (the only possible means of failure is quitting), but that the research is wrong. Theories are not just to be accepted, they must be (objectively) shown to be true. This means that there is a path that should be followed. First, the length of time can determined by looking at the structure of studies; 1. undergrad studies, 2. grad studies and 3. post-doc studies. Each level of study is about 4 years, but may take longer to achieve. (Up to six years.) This provides a minimum time line of about 12 years. Considering that Einstein started his work in 1901, and did not enter his university position until 1909, that's about 8 years (after he finished his undergraduate degree.
However, looking at the timeline is only part of the equation. The most important part is often overlooked by most undergrads - the risk. As with all endeavors there exists a risk of failure. Tradition universities show a failure rate of up to 80%. This risk is just on one third of the path to research. A risk this university eliminates by providing an unobstructed path to research. This leaves risks that not even researchers can change. All research, no matter the field, has a risk of failure. Even when there is success, such as Einstein's Theory of Relativity, there are errors and areas that are not properly understood. In fact, physics has proven to be a field that the more we know, the more there is to know. The absolute (of knowledge) is asymptotic, with our knowledge only approaching the absolute, but never reaching it. This means that there will always be unknowns to explore. The ability of a research to find these unknowns is dependent on the quality of the researcher and his ability to manage risk. This ability to manage risk will determine how far out he can go. Of which, bleeding edge research has the greatest levels of risk. The fortunate thing is that risk management is accessible to undergrad students. It's fairly easy, risk management is successfully done via risk assessment. A study of risk is the fundamentals of risk assessment. If one does such a study, the first point that can be noted is that there is a scale (or levels) of risk. The lowest risk (in life) is opening a small business. Although there is also risk in standard employment. Risk in standard employment is currently the same as opening a small business. On the other end, any tech business (electronic, chemo, or bio) is the highest level of risk. The lowest end of the risk spectrum sees establishment in three years, while the other end sees establishment at fifteen years or more. This can even be seen in Microsoft; 1980 was the advent of the PC and MSDOS; 1995 (15 years later) was the release of Windows 95; and 2000 (20 years later) was Windows 2000. This simple study shows how we can view risk vs the timeline of establishment. To delve deeper into risk assessment a study of the drug industry will reveal a concept to reality time line. Further, it will also provide an excellent means of risk assessment - a must for research. The same risk assessment and management study can be applied to any tech or science company. As well, it can be applied to NASA, with a study of NASA's history and its success to failure ratio. This will give you an idea of what to expect.
|
