Is it good policy to give financial aid to liberal arts majors?

[Asher]

Seems Physicists do well for themselves.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by GePap


Off track how? Its does not matter if physicists developed tools used by financial analysts

Not only did physicists develop them, physicists are also the only ones who can use them (or, at least, they're a major source for those who understand how to use them).

[GePap]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse

Might be close. Patent law and all. And the relevant statistic is average lifetime earnings of people in different undergrad disciplines, not whether you can find one occupation in which english majors outnumber physicists.

Patent law is important, but there are so many kinds of law in which knowledge of science or physics is hoenstly utterly irrelevant. MOst Tax law, which is probably the biggest, and then you have criminal law, trademark law, civil law, land use and zoning regulations.

As for life time earnings, I would posit that physics majors have a narrower dictribution of jobs than say english majors, since their training is more focused. So the question is not only mean, but perhaps also range. I am sure less phycis majors end up as fry cook than english majors. And not as many end up directing movies and earning huge sums of money, far beyond the average income earned by most people in a life time.

[Kuciwalker]

Patent law is important, but there are so many kinds of law in which knowledge of science or physics is hoenstly utterly irrelevant. MOst Tax law, which is probably the biggest, and then you have criminal law, trademark law, civil law, land use and zoning regulations.

You know that in many cases tax law involves pretty complicated mathematics, way beyond any liberal arts major? valuation and such.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
All of the important tools that make a financial analyst's job possible were developed by physicists/mathematicians, from the transistor to the mathematical methods.

So what? Without farmers none of this would even be relevant. That does not mean farmers get paid the most in society.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
You know that in many cases tax law involves pretty complicated mathematics, way beyond any liberal arts major? valuation and such.

[Kuciwalker]

Brilliant refutation. I'm wounded.

[Asher]

A refutation fit for that of a Liberal Arts major.

[GePap]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Not only did physicists develop them, physicists are also the only ones who can use them (or, at least, they're a major source for those who understand how to use them).

When I meet a physicist in Wall Street, I will give a holler. NOt that I have ever met anyone remotely connected to finance that had any background in physics. Lots of econ majors. Hell, even hisotry guys, and a mathematician here or there. NO physics majors.

[GePap]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
Brilliant refutation. I'm wounded.

Truth need not be brilliant, nor pretty. It just is.

[Kuciwalker]

FYI, a huge part of my dad's job - as a lawyer - is to figure out the value of employee benefit plans. He has to use pretty sophisticated mathematics to do so.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by GePap


When I meet a physicist in Wall Street

Should happen every day, kid. Every year my department graduates at least one PhD (out of ~10 graduates) who goes to work on finance stuff

[Asher]

Originally posted by GePap
When I meet a physicist in Wall Street, I will give a holler. NOt that I have ever met anyone remotely connected to finance that had any background in physics. Lots of econ majors. Hell, even hisotry guys, and a mathematician here or there. NO physics majors.

Can I get a "what what" from all of the low level civil servants in the hizz-oussse?

Let's not take your anecdotal evidence in this thread, grasshopper. We're talking about grown-up stuff here, GePap.

[Asher]

Here's something for GePap to edumacate himself with: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/047...books&v=glance

[GePap]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Should happen every day, kid. Every year my department graduates at least one PhD (out of ~10 graduates) who goes to work on finance stuff

Wow. 1. I am sure they grealty outnumber the graduates from the MBA programs. Or the econ PhD's.