Ambition

[Graystone]

Junior at UT Austin, majoring in Computer Science, I plan to continue on for my PhD

 

I sit around day dreaming a LOT. I have a decent social life, but all I can think about is science, economics, business, etc. I want to turn my ideas into reality, develop neural interface devices, artificial intelligence, turn them into a prospering business, design smart houses, build myself a multi-million dollar waterside mansion, rub elbows with powerful politicians, attempt to prevent the degradation of scientific advancement in the US, get grants to build Utopian science communities.

 

All the ambition you could imagine with no vent. I'm learning the basics at a painfully slow pace with not much incentive to get ahead of my learning since I'll just be relearning it again in class. I don't really have any mentors or peers to discuss ideas with or to learn from, with emphasis on the learn from part. I've attempted to read textbooks to try to learn and develop my own vents for my curious nature, but they are just so incredibly dull.

 

I'm reaching out, I really don't know what to do. Any tips?

Edited February 16, 2012 by Graystone

[ajb]

... build myself a multi-million dollar waterside mansion,...

 

I will stop you right there.

 

Very few scientists and engineers make money of that magnitude.

 

I would suggest being more realistic in your ambition. Break it down into more achievable goals. Getting your PhD and a paper or two published sound like a great goal to work towards as a first step.

[Graystone]

I will stop you right there.

 

Very few scientists and engineers make money of that magnitude.

 

I would suggest being more realistic in your ambition. Break it down into more achievable goals. Getting your PhD and a paper or two published sound like a great goal to work towards as a first step.

 

I'm ok with being realistic about it, but these are my dreams. If you are going to dream I figure I should dream big. Plus I don't plan on making but a fraction of my income from being a scientist. I own a multi-million dollar construction corporation that me a my dad started a year ago. We expanded into 4 cities already and growing even bigger. I plan on learning about investing, buying rental real estate, etc. I'm pretty good at making money when I want it. I'm just looking for a vent for some of this hyper-imagination, preferably through some scientific means.

[michel123456]

(...) rub elbows with powerful politicians (...)

 

Yes, sure. You can't make real big money without that.

 

There is a small story I'll try to translate:

 

The great eagle stands on a rock.

The snail comes slowly, raises his voice to the eagle, shouting: "get out of here you are sitting on my prefered rock."

The eagle takes a look down to the snail and answers: "do you know who you are talking to?"

"yes" says the snail, you are a common eagle.

"Oh? and who do you think you are? Do you want to measure yourself to me?

Why not, says the snail.

The eagles turns around and says: "do you see this mountain? I bet that I can reach its summit faster than you do"

O.K. says the snail, no problem.

Go.

The eagle spreads his wings, and flap flap in a few instants reaches the summit of the mountain.

But who's already there? The snail.

 

"how did you manage to reach the summit so quickly? asks the eagle.

 

And the snail answers:

 

"licking and crawling".

[Graystone]

"licking and crawling".

 

I like the story, never heard that one before. One small step at a time, I sometimes forget that and get ahead of myself. The snail like pace of school can do that to you I guess.

 

As grandeur as these ideas are, reverse engineering them into "licking and crawling" steps makes them seem pretty simple as my experience tells me.

 

Does anyone have any tips or experience with any books, ideas, theories, thinking exercises, etc. that could interest an amateur computer scientist with no advanced formal training?

 

 

[ajb]

I own a multi-million dollar construction corporation that me a my dad started a year ago. We expanded into 4 cities already and growing even bigger.

 

If it all goes well you are set. People I know in construction, if not exactly well off in real monetary terms, always seem to be doing ok. They know the housing market, can get materials at good prices and do lots of work themselves. They always seem to have nice homes in reasonable areas. The key is to buy an old house that needs work.

 

I plan on learning about investing, buying rental real estate, etc. I'm pretty good at making money when I want it.

 

This is the way to go. If you can get some money out of your existing business and buy rental properties you are on to money for nothing. I have never met a poor landlord, what ever they tell you.

 

I imagine now is a good time to buy with the crash in the property market. That said, how are the poor economic time upsetting your construction business? I imagine things are not so easy at the moment.

 

Does anyone have any tips or experience with any books, ideas, theories, thinking exercises, etc. that could interest an amateur computer scientist with no advanced formal training?

 

 

What sort of things are you interested in already?

 

(I wish I learnt C++, maybe that is a project for the future)

[Graystone]

That said, how are the poor economic time upsetting your construction business? I imagine things are not so easy at the moment.

 

Economy as far as I know only plays a factor into new construction. We do insurance work mostly and you wouldn't know there was a crashing economy dealing with insurance companies.

 

What sort of things are you interested in already?

 

(I wish I learnt C++, maybe that is a project for the future)

 

Practically I'm trying to school my way into the neural networking field, but I watch a lot of scifi shows. The shows seems to fire up an interest in smart homes, virtual voice activated butlers.

Just the idea of networking multiple appliances into one, being able to easily manipulate things back and forth. Having a program that you can connect to and that will learn your preferences, etc.

Examples, Caprica: Serge -- Ironman: Jarvis -- etc.

[ajb]

Practically I'm trying to school my way into the neural networking field, but I watch a lot of scifi shows. The shows seems to fire up an interest in smart homes, virtual voice activated butlers.

Just the idea of networking multiple appliances into one, being able to easily manipulate things back and forth. Having a program that you can connect to and that will learn your preferences, etc.

Examples, Caprica: Serge -- Ironman: Jarvis -- etc.

 

Sci-Fi I think has had a big influence on many scientists and engineers. I am sure that Dr Who and Star Trek stimulated my imagination and want to discover science.

[matty]

I like the story, never heard that one before. One small step at a time, I sometimes forget that and get ahead of myself. The snail like pace of school can do that to you I guess.

 

As grandeur as these ideas are, reverse engineering them into "licking and crawling" steps makes them seem pretty simple as my experience tells me.

 

Does anyone have any tips or experience with any books, ideas, theories, thinking exercises, etc. that could interest an amateur computer scientist with no advanced formal training?

 

The bulk of your issues here would seem to point you in the direction of finding yourself a narrowed assortment of reliable engineering forums, there are many. Make yourself at home in a couple of those and they'll help you toward decent, *relevant* freeware. Looking at that sorta thing might at least tamp down some of the energy, while putting it to use getting a little ahead.--Meaning, you'd mentioned reverse engineering, and so you're obviously already on the right path.

Edited February 18, 2012 by matty

[JohnStu]

Hmm, I guess your classmates must be some dull people. I've met quite a few good people they always listen to my "lectures", quite fun to do.