Why the us should cut useless courses from college degrees.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Plumbers literally already use machines for a lot of their job.

Such as what? People normally use what will assist them in their job to do it more efficiently or in less time, but won't accept anything that'll put them out of a job willingly. Robots can do surgery in hospitals for example, but existing surgeons just use the leverage they have to block it from being more widely accepted.

People said that the internet would cause paper to go away completely, but this never really happened. Paperless offices still generate a lot of paper trash/forms/etc. to sort through.

Such as all of the machines they use to perform work that a human could not do efficiently. If you've ever seen a tradesperson work, you will see this. And as iffy said, there are already robots being developed to replace plumbers.

[Ifreann]

As if arts and humanities will not be. Art will not go away as long as there are people, I give you that, but once AI good enough to replace physicists exists, it is most likely good enough to do social sciences as well.

Also, a small remnant of STEM will exist - people who make the robots and AI. Nobody is dumb enough to allow strong AI to replicate itself without restrictions programmed in by humans and human oversight. This job market will get oversaturated though, but then again so will art, as lots of people will not be working and have less income to spend on art.

Really, we'd have to abandon the entire idea of working for pay. In essence, the moment general AI replaces all jobs, is the moment the Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism meme becomes real. Of course, the gay part won't be enforced, if that concerns you, but still.

[United Muscovite Nations]

Tbh you're a fool if you think automation will benefit anyone but the ruling class. Communism must come before automation.

Eventually, it will benefit everyone. Either after a revolution triggered by the lack of benefit to the proletariat, or by reform caused by the threat of said revolution.

There won't be a revolution if they replace the army with robots too.

[Cisairse]

Really, we'd have to abandon the entire idea of working for pay. In essence, the moment general AI replaces all jobs, is the moment the Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism meme becomes real. Of course, the gay part won't be enforced, if that concerns you, but still.

Tbh you're a fool if you think automation will benefit anyone but the ruling class. Communism must come before automation.

It almost certainly will come after. The current social order won't survive ubiquitous unemployment. Nations can continue slapping larger and larger band-aids on the problem, but eventually machines will have taken enough people's bread away that it won't be feasible to keep them down on the street anymore.

EDIT:
I should mention that I believe UBI will actually fundamentally solve this problem.

[Grenartia]

Eventually, it will benefit everyone. Either after a revolution triggered by the lack of benefit to the proletariat, or by reform caused by the threat of said revolution.

There won't be a revolution if they replace the army with robots too.

They'd be too afraid of Skynet happening to do that.

[United Muscovite Nations]

As if arts and humanities will not be. Art will not go away as long as there are people, I give you that, but once AI good enough to replace physicists exists, it is most likely good enough to do social sciences as well.

Also, a small remnant of STEM will exist - people who make the robots and AI. Nobody is dumb enough to allow strong AI to replicate itself without restrictions programmed in by humans and human oversight. This job market will get oversaturated though, but then again so will art, as lots of people will not be working and have less income to spend on art.

>social sciences
>humanities
I shiggy diggy

To elaborate on this, machines may be able to do work for people in the humanities such as gathering data, but they can only do what they're programmed to do. Repetitive tasks like mathematics are easy for a machine, critical thinking tasks like philosophy, interpreting historical events, or even modeling legal systems and international affairs, are much more difficult because they require a degree of imagination that machines are not capable of.

[Saiwania]

Such as all of the machines they use to perform work that a human could not do efficiently. If you've ever seen a tradesperson work, you will see this. And as iffy said, there are already robots being developed to replace plumbers.

Plumbers are still around broadly speaking, so the robots in question must not be very good. Just as there are still surgeons now, despite mechanical arms that can perform surgeries more precisely within hospitals.

[Grenartia]

Tbh you're a fool if you think automation will benefit anyone but the ruling class. Communism must come before automation.

It almost certainly will come after. The current social order won't survive ubiquitous unemployment. Nations can continue slapping larger and larger band-aids on the problem, but eventually machines will have taken enough people's bread away that it won't be feasible to keep them down on the street anymore.

EDIT:
I should mention that I believe UBI will actually fundamentally solve this problem.

I haven't outright said it, but that's fundamentally what I think will be implemented. Even under post-scarcity, its too useful for keeping track of the flow of resources to not be implemented in some fashion.

[Grenartia]

Really, we'd have to abandon the entire idea of working for pay. In essence, the moment general AI replaces all jobs, is the moment the Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism meme becomes real. Of course, the gay part won't be enforced, if that concerns you, but still.

God, I love that meme.

[Reorganisieren Reichregierung]

As if arts and humanities will not be. Art will not go away as long as there are people, I give you that, but once AI good enough to replace physicists exists, it is most likely good enough to do social sciences as well.

Also, a small remnant of STEM will exist - people who make the robots and AI. Nobody is dumb enough to allow strong AI to replicate itself without restrictions programmed in by humans and human oversight. This job market will get oversaturated though, but then again so will art, as lots of people will not be working and have less income to spend on art.

Really, we'd have to abandon the entire idea of working for pay. In essence, the moment general AI replaces all jobs, is the moment the Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism meme becomes real. Of course, the gay part won't be enforced, if that concerns you, but still.

When automation comes around, which is farther than we think. But when it comes, I'll admit UBI will be necessary so that there will be economic activity and no bread riots. Even then UBI will not guarantee luxurious and opulent lifestyles, just enough to stay in good physical and mental shape.

But while AI is weak and basic and expensive? There must be a incentive for people to work and produce value. Sounds harsh but most people need compelling reasons to work.

[Ifreann]

God, I love that meme.

Can't wait until the revolution comes and proposing with a wedding ring is replace with proposing with a hammer and sickle.

[Red Roja]

I never went to college, but from what I have heard a lot of students are forced to take classes that have absolutely nothing to do with their majors. I think that should change. One of my friends that went to college told me that a lot of professors tend to spend more time preaching their political views than actually teaching.

Personally, I am glad I went to trade school instead. Not only was it cheaper and quicker than college, but I also make far more (6 figures a year) as a licensed electrician, plumber, and HVAC technician than the majority of college graduates do.

[Saiwania]

I never went to college, but from what I have heard a lot of students are forced to take classes that have absolutely nothing to do with their majors. I think that should change. One of my friends that went to college told me that a lot of professors tend to spend more time preaching their political views than actually teaching.

Personally, I am glad I went to trade school instead. Not only was it cheaper and quicker than college, but I also make far more (6 figures a year) as a licensed electrician, plumber, and HVAC technician than the majority of college graduates do.

Yes, you're very fortunate and made the right choices. I fell for the whole "go to college, or you'll have no future" bullshit that K-12 teachers tell kids graduating and ironically enough, it brought about that fate onto me. I have no money to go to trade school unless I take out a loan. A 2 year degree didn't help me get a related job one bit. I have a lost decade and no resume to speak of.

Its absolutely true that college forces you to take remedial general education courses if you don't score high enough on the SAT/ACT or on another placement test. And some of those prerequistive courses are a waste of time. Although, since I was going for a STEM degree, this was less of a problem. Only one course I was required to take- Humanities was more or less Liberal propaganda. It was the history of "art" and she was just a big liberal and taught liberal BS. I went along with it just to pass the course and be done with it.

An Associate of Arts degree is required for a lot of Bachelor degrees, and that is wrong in my view. It adds a huge time and money burden to becoming a Doctor or Lawyer, Engineer, or so on- that shouldn't be there for those fields.

[Reorganisieren Reichregierung]

I never went to college, but from what I have heard a lot of students are forced to take classes that have absolutely nothing to do with their majors. I think that should change. One of my friends that went to college told me that a lot of professors tend to spend more time preaching their political views than actually teaching.

Personally, I am glad I went to trade school instead. Not only was it cheaper and quicker than college, but I also make far more (6 figures a year) as a licensed electrician, plumber, and HVAC technician than the majority of college graduates do.

Yes, you're very fortunate and made the right choices. I fell for the whole "go to college, or you'll have no future" bullshit that K-12 teachers tell kids graduating and ironically enough, it brought about that fate onto me. I have no money to go to trade school unless I take out a loan. A 2 year degree didn't help me get a related job one bit. I have a lost decade and no resume to speak of.

Its absolutely true that college forces you to take remedial general education courses if you don't score high enough on the SAT/ACT or on another placement test. And some of those prerequistive courses are a waste of time. Although, since I was going for a STEM degree, this was less of a problem. Only one course I was required to take- Humanities was more or less Liberal propaganda. It was the history of "art" and she was just a big liberal and taught liberal BS. I went along with it just to pass the course and be done with it.

An Associate of Arts degree is required for a lot of Bachelor degrees, and that is wrong in my view. It adds a huge time and money burden to becoming a doctor or lawyer, Engineer, or so on- that shouldn't be there for those fields.

A college degree is also a status symbol, one that says you are "edumacated" and not some simpleton. Liberals are oversocialized creatures, and as such they place a premium on status symbols. This is not something they will admit to or even realize. They tell you that because they sincerely believe that it's true and it partly is - not going to college is social suicide in social circles dominated by liberals.

As for humanities, that's to be expected. Academia is a stronghold of liberals and as they believe they are right, they will teach political dogmas as if they are objective truth.

[The Emerald Legion]

Really, we'd have to abandon the entire idea of working for pay. In essence, the moment general AI replaces all jobs, is the moment the Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism meme becomes real. Of course, the gay part won't be enforced, if that concerns you, but still.

When automation comes around, which is farther than we think. But when it comes, I'll admit UBI will be necessary so that there will be economic activity and no bread riots. Even then UBI will not guarantee luxurious and opulent lifestyles, just enough to stay in good physical and mental shape.

But while AI is weak and basic and expensive? There must be a incentive for people to work and produce value. Sounds harsh but most people need compelling reasons to work.

Nah.

When Automation becomes commonplace, we will be able to embrace our true destiny.

In the far future there will only be war. And robots.

[Saiwania]

There won't be a revolution if they replace the army with robots too.

It'd be interesting if this makes the Clone Wars partially play out for real. I'm willing to bet that biologicals will defeat any army of droids, unless the robots can be mass produced at a faster rate as to win via attrition.

[Reorganisieren Reichregierung]

When automation comes around, which is farther than we think. But when it comes, I'll admit UBI will be necessary so that there will be economic activity and no bread riots. Even then UBI will not guarantee luxurious and opulent lifestyles, just enough to stay in good physical and mental shape.

But while AI is weak and basic and expensive? There must be a incentive for people to work and produce value. Sounds harsh but most people need compelling reasons to work.

Nah.

When Automation becomes commonplace, we will be able to embrace our true destiny.

In the far future there will only be war. And robots.

That is actually not impossible. As long as there is no unipolarity this state of affairs can be sustained.

The danger is when someone decides to make robots fight the wars instead of men.

There won't be a revolution if they replace the army with robots too.

It'd be interesting if this makes the Clone Wars partially play out for real. I'm willing to bet that biologicals will defeat any army of droids, unless the robots can be mass produced at a faster rate as to win via attrition.

That depends on the strength of robot AI, and if it is strong enough to allow a robot to "think", the IQ and general "psychology" of the robot mind and more spiritual factors such as elan, tenacity, espirit de corps, etc. If technology is advanced enough then thinking AI can become cheap enough for mass-producing thinking robots to prevent humans from circles around robot armies and negating their numbers.

And in such a case, something must stop the robots from thinking about overthrowing humans and doing so.

[Starblaydia]

Piss off.

*** Warned for flaming ***

[Giovenith]

There's no such thing as a "useless degree." Just because you can't personally imagine an application for it does not mean that there isn't one — there's more to the world than just office workers, construction crews, and starving hipsters.

Granted, there are some degrees that you need to put more work into applying than others. Too many people imagine that a college degree will act as a kind of coupon that you exchange for a shiny new job, and in some cases that might be so, but not most. There's nothing "useless" about getting a degree in Egyptology for example, there is tons of benefit to our culture to learning more about ancient Egypt, but you can't expect to go straight from being a nobody high schooler, to a nobody college student who does nothing but study and take tests, and then as soon as you graduate be sent on the next plane to an archaeological dig. That's not how it works. You would need to foster connections with museums and historical groups early on, find a specific area of the subject that you can contribute to, and prove that you have something unique to offer the field other than just reciting factoids. College isn't like regular school where as long as you get passing grades you'll move up to the next level, college is a tool that you must use to plan and navigate your life on your own time.


And because we all know someone in this thread is going to pull the whole, "well maybe you should have got a real degree instead of liberal arts xD" shpeel at some point:

I find it amusing that whenever the denigration of "useless" liberal arts (generally interchangeable with "the humanities" these days, aka, the thing that OP considers useless) degrees come up, most of the people mocking these degrees can't actually tell you what the liberal arts are. Ask them, and they'll usually assume it has something to do with literal art, "sitting at home all day painting," or they'll give you that tired old Christina Hoff Sommers take about "feminist dance therapy." In reality, liberal arts encompasses but is not limited to:

Advertising, African-American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Criminal Justice, Economics, English, Film and Video, Finance, Fine Arts, French, Geology, History, Journalism, International Studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Photography, Psychology, Religion, Russian Studies, Sociology, Spanish, Speech, Statistics, Teaching (all teaching, not "teaching liberal arts"), Theater.

Bold is for fields I suspect most people don't consider "useless."

More broadly, the liberal arts is defined as encompassing:

Anatomy – study of form and function, in plants, animals, and other organisms, or specifically in humans.
Astrobiology – the study of the formation and presence of life in the universe.
Biotechnology – study of combination of both the living organism and technology.
Biochemistry – study of the chemical reactions required for life to exist and function, usually a focus on the cellular level.
Bioinformatics – developing of methods or software tools for storing, retrieving, organizing and analyzing biological data to generate useful biological knowledge
Biolinguistics – study of the biology and evolution of language.
Biological anthropology – the study of humans, non-human primates, and hominids. Also known as physical anthropology.
Biomechanics – the study of the mechanics of living beings.
Biophysics – study of biological processes by applying the theories and methods that have been traditionally used in the physical sciences.
Botany – study of plants.
Cell biology – study of the cell as a complete unit, and the molecular and chemical interactions that occur within a living cell. Also known as cytology
Developmental biology – study of the processes through which an organism forms, from zygote to full structure
Ecology – study of the interactions of living organisms with one another and with the non-living elements of their environment
Ethology – the study of behavior
Evolutionary biology – study of the origin and descent of species over time
Evolutionary developmental biology – study of the evolution of development including its molecular control
Genetics – study of genes and heredity
Histology – the study of tissues
Immunology – the study of the immune system
Microbiology – study of microscopic organisms (microorganisms) and their interactions with other living organisms
Molecular biology – study of biology and biological functions at the molecular level, some cross over with biochemistry, genetics and microbiology
Neuroscience – study of the nervous system
Paleontology – study of prehistoric organisms
Pharmacology – the study of drug action
Physiology – study of the functioning of living organisms and the organs and parts of living organisms
Population biology – study of groups of conspecific organisms
Quantum biology – the study of quantum phenomena in organisms
Structural biology – a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macro-molecules
Synthetic biology – the design and construction of new biological entities such as enzymes, genetic circuits and cells, or the redesign of existing biological systems (LY)
Systems biology – study of the integration and dependencies of various components within a biological system, with particular focus upon the role of metabolic pathways and cell-signaling strategies in physiology
Theoretical biology – the use of abstractions and mathematical models to study biological phenomena
Toxicology – the nature, effects, and detection of poisons

Applicable in:

Biotechnology – manipulation of living matter, including genetic modification and synthetic biology

Biocomputers – biocomputers use systems of biologically derived molecules, such as DNA and proteins, to perform computational calculations involving storing, retrieving, and processing data. The development of biocomputers has been made possible by the expanding new science of nanobiotechnology.

Biocontrol – Encarsia formosa was one of the first biological control agents developed.

Bioeffector- Method of controlling pests (including insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases) using other living organisms.

Bioengineering – study of biology through the means of engineering with an emphasis on applied knowledge and especially related to biotechnology

Bioelectronics – the electrical state of biological matter significantly affects its structure and function, compare for instance the membrane potential, the signal transduction by neurons, the isoelectric point (IEP) and so on. Micro- and nano-electronic components and devices have increasingly been combined with biological systems like medical implants, biosensors, lab-on-a-chip devices etc. causing the emergence of this new scientific field.

Biomaterials – any matter, surface, or construct that interacts with biological systems. As a science, biomaterials is about fifty years old. The study of biomaterials is called biomaterials science. It has experienced steady and strong growth over its history, with many companies investing large amounts of money into the development of new products. Biomaterials science encompasses elements of medicine, biology, chemistry, tissue engineering and materials science.

Biomedical science – healthcare science, also known as biomedical science, is a set of applied sciences applying portions of natural science or formal science, or both, to develop knowledge, interventions, or technology of use in healthcare or public health. Such disciplines as medical microbiology, clinical virology, clinical epidemiology, genetic epidemiology, and biomedical engineering are medical sciences. Explaining physiological mechanisms operating in pathological processes, however, pathophysiology can be regarded as basic science.

Biomonitoring – measurement of the body burden of toxic chemical compounds, elements, or their metabolites, in biological substances. Often, these measurements are done in blood and urine.

Biopolymer – polymers produced by living organisms; in other words, they are polymeric biomolecules. Since they are polymers, biopolymers contain monomeric units that are covalently bonded to form larger structures. There are three main classes of biopolymers, classified according to the monomeric units used and the structure of the biopolymer formed: polynucleotides (RNA and DNA), which are long polymers composed of 13 or more nucleotide monomers; polypeptides, which are short polymers of amino acids; and polysaccharides, which are often linear bonded polymeric carbohydrate structures.

Conservation biology – Conservation biology is the management of nature and of Earth’s biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an interdisciplinary subject drawing on natural and social sciences, and the practice of natural resource management.

Environmental health – multidisciplinary field concerned with environmental epidemiology, toxicology, and exposure science.

Fermentation technology – study of use of microorganisms for industrial manufacturing of various products like vitamins, amino acids, antibiotics, beer, wine, etc.

Food science – applied science devoted to the study of food. Activities of food scientists include the development of new food products, design of processes to produce and conserve these foods, choice of packaging materials, shelf-life studies, study of the effects of food on the human body, sensory evaluation of products using panels or potential consumers, as well as microbiological, physical (texture and rheology) and chemical testing.

Genomics – applies recombinant DNA, DNA sequencing methods, and bioinformatics to sequence, assemble, and analyze the function and structure of genomes (the complete set of DNA within a single cell of an organism). The field includes efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis, epistasis, pleiotropy and other interactions between loci and alleles within the genome. In contrast, the investigation of the roles and functions of single genes is a primary focus of molecular biology or genetics and is a common topic of modern medical and biological research. Research of single genes does not fall into the definition of genomics unless the aim of this genetic, pathway, and functional information analysis is to elucidate its effect on, place in, and response to the entire genome's networks.

Immunotherapy – is the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies, while immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are classified as suppression immunotherapies.

Kinesiology – Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics, is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics; strength and conditioning; sport psychology; methods of rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational therapy; and sport and exercise. Individuals who have earned degrees in kinesiology can work in research, the fitness industry, clinical settings, and in industrial environments. Studies of human and animal motion include measures from motion tracking systems, electrophysiology of muscle and brain activity, various methods for monitoring physiological function, and other behavioral and cognitive research techniques.

Medical device – A medical device is an instrument, apparatus, implant, in vitro reagent, or similar or related article that is used to diagnose, prevent, or treat disease or other conditions, and does not achieve its purposes through chemical action within or on the body (which would make it a drug). Whereas medicinal products (also called pharmaceuticals) achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means, medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, or thermal means.

Medical imaging – Medical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body (or parts and function thereof) for clinical or physiological research purposes

Optogenetics – Optogenetics is a neuromodulation technique employed in neuroscience that uses a combination of techniques from optics and genetics to control and monitor the activities of individual neurons in living tissue—even within freely-moving animals—and to precisely measure the effects of those manipulations in real-time. The key reagents used in optogenetics are light-sensitive proteins. Spatially-precise neuronal control is achieved using optogenetic actuators like channelrhodopsin, halorhodopsin, and archaerhodopsin, while temporally-precise recordings can be made with the help of optogenetic sensors like Clomeleon, Mermaid, and SuperClomeleon.

Pharmacogenomics – Pharmacogenomics (a portmanteau of pharmacology and genomics) is the technology that analyses how genetic makeup affects an individual's response to drugs. It deals with the influence of genetic variation on drug response in patients by correlating gene expression or single-nucleotide polymorphisms with a drug's efficacy or toxicity.

Pharmacology – A variety of topics involved with pharmacology, including neuropharmacology, renal pharmacology, human metabolism, intracellular metabolism, and intracellular regulation

Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action, where a drug can be broadly defined as any man-made, natural, or endogenous (within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemical and/or physiological effect on the cell, tissue, organ, or organism. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function. If substances have medicinal properties, they are considered pharmaceuticals.

Population dynamics – Population dynamics is the study of short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes. Population dynamics deals with the way populations are affected by birth and death rates, and by immigration and emigration, and studies topics such as ageing populations or population decline.

Proteomics – Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, as they are the main components of the physiological metabolic pathways of cells. The proteome is the entire set of proteins, produced or modified by an organism or system. This varies with time and distinct requirements, or stresses, that a cell or organism undergoes.

Physical science - Branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to the biological sciences. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences". However, the term "physical" creates an unintended, somewhat arbitrary distinction, since many branches of physical science also study biological phenomena (organic chemistry, for example).

Astronomy – studies the universe beyond Earth, including its formation and development, and the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects (such as galaxies, planets, etc.) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation).
Astrobiology – study of evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe—also known as exobiology, exopaleontology, and bioastronomy
Astrodynamics – application of ballistics and celestial mechanics to the practical problems concerning the motion of rockets and other spacecraft.
Astrophysics – study of the physical aspects of celestial objects.
Astrometry – branch of astronomy that involves precise measurements of the positions and movements of stars and other celestially bodies.
Cosmology – discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole.
Extragalactic astronomy – branch of astronomy concerned with objects outside our own Milky Way Galaxy
Galactic astronomy – study of our own Milky Way galaxy and all its contents.
Physical cosmology – study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution.
Planetary science – scientific study of planets (including Earth), moons, and planetary systems, in particular those of the Solar System and the processes that form them.
Stellar astronomy – natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as cosmic background radiation)

Physics – physical science that studies matter and its motion through space-time, and related concepts such as energy and force
Acoustics – study of mechanical waves in solids, liquids, and gases (such as vibration and sound)
Agrophysics – study of physics applied to agroecosystems
Soil physics – study of soil physical properties and processes.
Atmospheric physics – study of the application of physics to the atmosphere
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics – study of how matter and light interact
Biophysics – study of physical processes relating to biology
Medical physics – application of physics concepts, theories and methods to medicine.
Neurophysics – branch of biophysics dealing with the nervous system.
Chemical physics – branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics.
Computational physics – study and implementation of numerical algorithms to solve problems in physics for which a quantitative theory already exists.
Condensed matter physics – study of the physical properties of condensed phases of matter.
Cryogenics – cryogenics is the study of the production of very low temperature (below −150 °C, −238 °F or 123K) and the behavior of materials at those temperatures.
Dynamics – study of the causes of motion and changes in motion
Econophysics – interdisciplinary research field, applying theories and methods originally developed by physicists in order to solve problems in economics
Electromagnetism – branch of science concerned with the forces that occur between electrically charged particles.
Geophysics – the physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods
Materials physics – use of physics to describe materials in many different ways such as force, heat, light and mechanics.
Mathematical physics – application of mathematics to problems in physics and the development of mathematical methods for such applications and for the formulation of physical theories.
Mechanics – branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment.
Biomechanics – study of the structure and function of biological systems such as humans, animals, plants, organs, and cells by means of the methods of mechanics.
Classical mechanics – one of the two major sub-fields of mechanics, which is concerned with the set of physical laws describing the motion of bodies under the action of a system of forces.
Continuum mechanics – branch of mechanics that deals with the analysis of the kinematics and the mechanical behavior of materials modeled as a continuous mass rather than as discrete particles.
Fluid mechanics – study of fluids and the forces on them.
Quantum mechanics – branch of physics dealing with physical phenomena where the action is on the order of the Planck constant.
Thermodynamics – branch of physical science concerned with heat and its relation to other forms of energy and work.
Nuclear physics – field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei.
Optics – branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it.
Particle physics – branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation.
Psychophysics – quantitatively investigates the relationship between physical stimuli and the sensations and perceptions they affect.
Plasma physics – state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized.
Polymer physics – field of physics that studies polymers, their fluctuations, mechanical properties, as well as the kinetics of reactions involving degradation and polymerisation of polymers and monomers respectively.
Quantum physics – branch of physics dealing with physical phenomena where the action is on the order of the Planck constant.
Relativity – branch of physics dealing with the mechanics of objects that approach the speed of light.
Statics – branch of mechanics concerned with the analysis of loads (force, torque/moment) on physical systems in static equilibrium, that is, in a state where the relative positions of subsystems do not vary over time, or where components and structures are at a constant velocity.
Solid state physics – study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy.
Vehicle dynamics – dynamics of vehicles, here assumed to be ground vehicles.

Chemistry – physical science of atomic matter (matter that is composed of chemical elements), especially its chemical reactions, but also including its properties, structure, composition, behavior, and changes as they relate the chemical reactions
Analytical chemistry – study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials.
Astrochemistry – study of the abundance and reactions of chemical elements and molecules in the universe, and their interaction with radiation.
Cosmochemistry – study of the chemical composition of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions
Atmospheric chemistry – branch of atmospheric science in which the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets is studied. It is a multidisciplinary field of research and draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modeling, oceanography, geology and volcanology and other disciplines
Biochemistry – study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes.
Agrochemistry – study of both chemistry and biochemistry which are important in agricultural production, the processing of raw products into foods and beverages, and in environmental monitoring and remediation.
Bioinorganic chemistry – examines the role of metals in biology.
Bioorganic chemistry – rapidly growing scientific discipline that combines organic chemistry and biochemistry.
Biophysical chemistry – new branch of chemistry that covers a broad spectrum of research activities involving biological systems.
Environmental chemistry – scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places.
Immunochemistry – branch of chemistry that involves the study of the reactions and components on the immune system.
Medicinal chemistry – discipline at the intersection of chemistry, especially synthetic organic chemistry, and pharmacology and various other biological specialties, where they are involved with design, chemical synthesis and development for market of pharmaceutical agents (drugs).
Pharmacology – branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action.
Natural product chemistry – chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism – found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design.
Neurochemistry – specific study of neurochemicals, which include neurotransmitters and other molecules such as neuro-active drugs that influence neuron function.
Computational chemistry – branch of chemistry that uses principles of computer science to assist in solving chemical problems.
Chemo-informatics – use of computer and informational techniques, applied to a range of problems in the field of chemistry.
Molecular mechanics – uses Newtonian mechanics to model molecular systems.
Flavor chemistry – someone who uses chemistry to engineer artificial and natural flavors.
Flow chemistry – chemical reaction is run in a continuously flowing stream rather than in batch production.
Geochemistry – study of the mechanisms behind major geological systems using chemistry
Aqueous geochemistry – study of the role of various elements in watersheds, including copper, sulfur, mercury, and how elemental fluxes are exchanged through atmospheric-terrestrial-aquatic interactions
Isotope geochemistry – study of the relative and absolute concentrations of the elements and their isotopes using chemistry and geology
Ocean chemistry – studies the chemistry of marine environments including the influences of different variables.
Organic geochemistry – study of the impacts and processes that organisms have had on Earth
Regional, environmental and exploration geochemistry – study of the spatial variation in the chemical composition of materials at the surface of the Earth
Inorganic chemistry – branch of chemistry concerned with the properties and behavior of inorganic compounds.
Nuclear chemistry – subfield of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes and nuclear properties.
Radiochemistry – chemistry of radioactive materials, where radioactive isotopes of elements are used to study the properties and chemical reactions of non-radioactive isotopes (often within radiochemistry the absence of radioactivity leads to a substance being described as being inactive as the isotopes are stable).
Organic chemistry – study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of carbon-based compounds, hydrocarbons, and their derivatives.
Petrochemistry – branch of chemistry that studies the transformation of crude oil (petroleum) and natural gas into useful products or raw materials.
Organometallic chemistry – study of chemical compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal.
Photochemistry – study of chemical reactions that proceed with the absorption of light by atoms or molecules..
Physical chemistry – study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts.
Chemical kinetics – the study of rates of chemical processes.
Chemical thermodynamics – study of the interrelation of heat and work with chemical reactions or with physical changes of state within the confines of the laws of thermodynamics.
Electrochemistry – branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor (a metal or a semiconductor) and an ionic conductor (the electrolyte), and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.
Femtochemistry – Femtochemistry is the science that studies chemical reactions on extremely short timescales, approximately 10−15 seconds (one femtosecond, hence the name).
Mathematical chemistry – area of research engaged in novel applications of mathematics to chemistry; it concerns itself principally with the mathematical modeling of chemical phenomena.
Mechanochemistry – coupling of the mechanical and the chemical phenomena on a molecular scale and includes mechanical breakage, chemical behaviour of mechanically stressed solids (e.g., stress-corrosion cracking), tribology, polymer degradation under shear, cavitation-related phenomena (e.g., sonochemistry and sonoluminescence), shock wave chemistry and physics, and even the burgeoning field of molecular machines.
Physical organic chemistry – study of the interrelationships between structure and reactivity in organic molecules.
Quantum chemistry – branch of chemistry whose primary focus is the application of quantum mechanics in physical models and experiments of chemical systems.
Sonochemistry – study of the effect of sonic waves and wave properties on chemical systems.
Stereochemistry – study of the relative spatial arrangement of atoms within molecules.
Supramolecular chemistry – area of chemistry beyond the molecules and focuses on the chemical systems made up of a discrete number of assembled molecular subunits or components.
Thermochemistry – study of the energy and heat associated with chemical reactions and/or physical transformations.
Phytochemistry – strict sense of the word the study of phytochemicals.
Polymer chemistry – multidisciplinary science that deals with the chemical synthesis and chemical properties of polymers or macromolecules.
Solid-state chemistry – study of the synthesis, structure, and properties of solid phase materials, particularly, but not necessarily exclusively of, non-molecular solids
Multidisciplinary fields involving chemistry
Chemical biology – scientific discipline spanning the fields of chemistry and biology that involves the application of chemical techniques and tools, often compounds produced through synthetic chemistry, to the study and manipulation of biological systems.
Chemical engineering – branch of engineering that deals with physical science (e.g., chemistry and physics), and life sciences (e.g., biology, microbiology and biochemistry) with mathematics and economics, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms.
Chemical oceanography – study of the behavior of the chemical elements within the Earth's oceans.
Chemical physics – branch of physics that studies chemical processes from the point of view of physics.
Materials science – interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering.
Nanotechnology – study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale
Oenology – science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which is a subfield called viticulture.
Spectroscopy – study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy
Surface science – Surface science is the study of physical and chemical phenomena that occur at the interface of two phases, including solid–liquid interfaces, solid–gas interfaces, solid–vacuum interfaces, and liquid–gas interfaces.

Earth science – all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. Earth science, and all of its branches, are branches of physical science.
Atmospheric sciences – umbrella term for the study of the atmosphere, its processes, the effects other systems have on the atmosphere, and the effects of the atmosphere on these other systems.
Biogeography – study of the distribution of species (biology), organisms, and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.
Cartography – study and practice of making maps or globes.
Climatology – study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time
Coastal geography – study of the dynamic interface between the ocean and the land, incorporating both the physical geography (i.e. coastal geomorphology, geology and oceanography) and the human geography (sociology and history) of the coast.
Environmental science – an integrated, quantitative, and interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental systems.
Ecology – scientific study of the distribution and abundance of living organisms and how the distribution and abundance are affected by interactions between the organisms and their environment.
Freshwater biology – scientific biological study of freshwater ecosystems and is a branch of Limnology
Marine biology – scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water
Parasitology – Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them.
Population dynamics – Population dynamics is the branch of life sciences that studies short-term and long-term changes in the size and age composition of populations, and the biological and environmental processes influencing those changes.
Environmental chemistry – Environmental chemistry is the scientific study of the chemical and biochemical phenomena that occur in natural places.
Environmental soil science – Environmental soil science is the study of the interaction of humans with the pedosphere as well as critical aspects of the biosphere, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.
Environmental geology – Environmental geology, like hydrogeology, is an applied science concerned with the practical application of the principles of geology in the solving of environmental problems.
Toxicology – branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms.
Geodesy – scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space
Geography – science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth
Geoinformatics – science and the technology which develops and uses information science infrastructure to address the problems of geography, geosciences and related branches of engineering.
Geology – study of the Earth, with the general exclusion of present-day life, flow within the ocean, and the atmosphere.
Planetary geology – planetary science discipline concerned with the geology of the celestial bodies such as the planets and their moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites.
Geomorphology – scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them
Geostatistics – branch of statistics focusing on spatial or spatiotemporal datasets
Geophysics – physics of the Earth and its environment in space; also the study of the Earth using quantitative physical methods.
Glaciology – study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice.
Hydrology – study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability.
Hydrogeology – area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aquifers).
Mineralogy – study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals.
Meteorology – interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere which explains and forecasts weather events.
Oceanography – branch of Earth science that studies the ocean
Paleoclimatology – study of changes in climate taken on the scale of the entire history of Earth
Paleontology – study of prehistoric life
Petrology – branch of geology that studies the origin, composition, distribution and structure of rocks.
Limnology – study of inland waters
Seismology – scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies
Soil science – study of soil as a natural resource on the surface of the earth including soil formation, classification and mapping; physical, chemical, biological, and fertility properties of soils; and these properties in relation to the use and management of soils.
Topography – study of surface shape and features of the Earth and other observable astronomical objects including planets, moons, and asteroids.
Volcanology – study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological, geophysical and geochemical phenomena.

Life Sciences (Described above)

- Logic, Mathematics, Statistics (Self-explanatory)
- Philosophy
- History (Self-explanatory)

Anthropology, Communication studies, Economics, Education, Geography, History, Law, Linguistics, Political science, Psychology, Sociology, in addition to:

Archaeology is the science that studies human cultures through the recovery, documentation, analysis, and interpretation of material remains and environmental data, including architecture, artifacts, features, biofacts, and landscapes.

Area studies are interdisciplinary fields of research and scholarship pertaining to particular geographical, national/federal, or cultural regions.

Behavioural science is a term that encompasses all the disciplines that explore the activities of and interactions among organisms in the natural world.

Computational social science is an umbrella field encompassing computational approaches within the social sciences.

Demography is the statistical study of all human populations.

Development studies a multidisciplinary branch of social science that addresses issues of concern to developing countries.

Environmental social science is the broad, transdisciplinary study of interrelations between humans and the natural environment.

Environmental studies integrate social, humanistic, and natural science perspectives on the relation between humans and the natural environment.

Gender studies integrates several social and natural sciences to study gender identity, masculinity, femininity, transgender issues, and sexuality.

Information science is an interdisciplinary science primarily concerned with the collection, classification, manipulation, storage, retrieval and dissemination of information.

International studies covers both International relations (the study of foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system) and International education (the comprehensive approach that intentionally prepares people to be active and engaged participants in an interconnected world).

Legal management is a social sciences discipline that is designed for students interested in the study of state and legal elements.

Library science is an interdisciplinary field that applies the practices, perspectives, and tools of management, information technology, education, and other areas to libraries; the collection, organization, preservation and dissemination of information resources; and the political economy of information.

Management consists of various levels of leadership and administration of an organization in all business and human organizations. It is the effective execution of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives through adequate planning, executing and controlling activities.

Marketing the identification of human needs and wants, defines and measures their magnitude for demand and understanding the process of consumer buying behaviour to formulate products and services, pricing, promotion and distribution to satisfy these needs and wants through exchange processes and building long term relationships.

Political economy is the study of production, buying and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government.

Public administration is one of the main branches of political science, and can be broadly described as the development, implementation and study of branches of government policy. The pursuit of the public good by enhancing civil society and social justice is the ultimate goal of the field. Though public administration has been historically referred to as government management, it increasingly encompasses non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that also operate with a similar, primary dedication to the betterment of humanity.

Religious studies and Western esoteric studies incorporate and inform social-scientific research on phenomena broadly deemed religious. Religious studies, Western esoteric studies, and the social sciences developed in dialogue with one another.

- Creative arts (Self-explanatory)

Ironically, several of these examples are fields I often find smugly offered as an "actually useful alternative" to the liberal arts (the aforementioned "dance therapy" quote comes from a professor of philosophy — a liberal arts degree). It's almost harder to find a field that isn't considered part of the liberal arts, which is what makes it all the more alarming when you see so many Americans putting such a blanket dismissal on the entire category.

TL;DR - People who mock "liberal arts degrees" don't know what they're talking about. No surprise there.

[Albennia]

Nobody said anything about giving more money to the military

No it just happens anyway

investment in infrastructure, industry or general job creation

Cool, actually do that then. You can have this alongside free education btw.

indulging in everyone's fantasies of earning 6 figures as an underwater basket weaver

I'm not even going to bother with this one because you are obviously working from an entirely different perspective of how people approach education to reality, as shown by the fact France and Germany have unsurprisingly experienced no such thing

All jobs require degrees, but anything above minimum wage requires a degree proving you have a skill applicable to the job. And many of these jobs will be wiped out by automation or become oversaturated fields due to overproduction of degrees and skilled immigration.

The result of a national obsession with going to college (70% of high school graduates go to college it's amazing nobody is willing to recognise that might be a problem) that needs to be ended.

Ban automation, ban offshoring anyway.

[Chernoslavia]

Also teaching children pure technical skills is just silly, and services to only teach them to be mindless industrial drones. So I guess that's a win for the capitalists, but I thought we preferred our population with deep critical thinking skills, social awareness, and empathetic nature. It's kinda hard to teach all of those through fucking tax forms.

Do you ever think about the dumb shit you're about to say before you say them? Serious question. Also, children?

[Saiwania]

It matters not in my view, if the Liberal Arts covers a broad spectrum of topics/industries if statistically speaking, the people learning it aren't earning enough to pay it off compared to what it costs. Having student debt is such a huge burden/obstacle that it ensures that education has to be seen as an investment, with the exception of those who're already wealthy and won't have any negative consequence other than a loss of their time, if they don't manage to obtain work from it.

[Cekoviu]

Genitals? I thought they were talking about pockets!

If you can fit your phone into your jeans pocket, you are a man. If you can't, you're a woman.

It's science.

Honestly, this isn't even a joke

[Imperial Joseon]

If you can fit your phone into your jeans pocket, you are a man. If you can't, you're a woman.

It's science.

Honestly, this isn't even a joke

Just ignore and move on.

[Valrifell]

Also teaching children pure technical skills is just silly, and services to only teach them to be mindless industrial drones. So I guess that's a win for the capitalists, but I thought we preferred our population with deep critical thinking skills, social awareness, and empathetic nature. It's kinda hard to teach all of those through fucking tax forms.

Do you ever think about the dumb shit you're about to say before you say them? Serious question. Also, children?

Children, people, potato potato (but pronounced differently).