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Rubrik: Mittwochs-Kolumnen |
Print-Version
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| Of Small and Large Things | |
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(Click here to get to the german version of this text.) Nicky Kern In order to introduce the topic of this article I have to introduce a technical term: the nerd. For computer scientists it refers to the cliché of their kind, which is equally admired and rejected. Interestingly, this image matches not only computer scientists... The meaning of the term is not quite clear. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary classifies the nerd as a "stupid person, idiot". However, the Nerd's Liberation Movement (http://www.perkel.com/nerd.nlm.htm) defines the nerd as being extraordinarily intelligent and claims the right to be exactly that. Obviously, the pure meaning of the term is not quite unique... Let's look at the origins of the term: it goes back to the fifties and was coined for pimpled, male teenagers, which were working on radio receivers all day long. Because this was their only occupation, all conversations with and inbetween them were restricted to this topic. It doesn't suprise, that they were completely unaware of being a nerd. Well, times change: today there is Clearasil and radio receivers are not a very hot topic any more. However, once the receivers are replaced by computers, we're quite close to todays meaning of the term: bright, focussed on a single topic, not really open to new ones, and finally unaware of it. Although the nerd has potential suprising results in his "area", he has a severe problem. Due to his narrow point of view, he sometimes misses important aspects. Together with the fact, that he has little social contact and is hence not good at communicating something, he is often considered as being too much involved in details to say or be something useful.
Weiter: oben rechts
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Apparently, being a nerd is not restricted to computer scientists: who has ever heard jurists discussing swiss Obligationenrecht on a party knows what I'm talking about. The representants of most other professions are not a lot better. Finally, this is not really surprising: we all spend much time with the topic of our profession or studies. It is not always easy to let go of this... I don't want to be misunderstood: we do need nerds. Constantly working on a single subject shows real interest, which is obviously essential. Apart from that, the capability and willingness to face the extreme when exploring a topic is necessary. We here at the university are certainly fascinated by the topics, that we teach, learn, or research. Otherwise we wouldn't be here. Exactly this is why we're susceptible to become nerds, which is good, since we want to explore things to the very end. However, to keep having good and new ideas, to know the big picture, and to speak with other people about what we are doing, we must not let that happen. If we are not conscious of this conflict, we may get lost in detail or may only float on the surface of our problems. Both cannot be really our goals. |
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