If you could launch a ‘knowledge revolution’ in your field of study, what is one established theory, concept, or required course you would completely abolish or fundamentally rewrite?
We spend a lot of time learning about perfect resistors, perfect inductors, and perfect capacitors that behave exactly according to the equations we learn at school and at university. But the moment you start your own project and deal with anything, which is not just a simple Arduino circuit, that entire simplistic theory collapses. Everything has parasitic elements and components are non-linear. So all those ideal frameworks end up being almost useless when you are making your hands dirty and working on a real-world project. In my opinion, it would be important to learn to account for these imperfections from the beginning of our studies.
Anonymous, studies Electrical Engineering
Okay, look, if I could cancel an entire theory, the first thing to go would be Compressible Fluid Dynamics. It’s full of non-linear partial differential equations like the Navier-Stokes. Realistically, in the professional world, these problems are solved using computational software. We spend excessive time on historical theoretical proofs when that time could be far better invested in application and advanced simulation techniques. I wouldn’t abolish the core concepts of fluid flow, but eliminate all intricate mathematical derivations. My revolution would make it 90% practical, focused on real-world Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling.
Anonymous, studies Mechanical Engineering
I would abolish the entire emphasis on abstract managerial frameworks. These fancy models look amazing on a consulting slide deck but fall apart the second a real crisis hits. They are just full of buzzwords, probably written by some consultants, who need to sell their new (non-)invention. Further, they often feel like a shallow attempt to simplify inherently volatile systems. We need to accept that some things simply cannot be taught, but need to be learned by experiencing them: less hot air, more harsh reality.
Anonymous, studies MTEC
If I were launching a revolution in History, I’d abolish the entrenched theoretical reliance on Historical Determinism. That’s the concept that history moves along this tidy, predictable, inevitable path. I find this framework is so reductive, it minimises individual human agency and ignores the chaos and contingency that shape real events. We need to stop viewing history as a neat timeline leading to the present and start treating it like a messy, dynamic, and genuinely uncertain process.
Anonymous, studies Literary Studies
Even though there were many theorems and proofs that I didn’t like when preparing for my exams (and “not liking” can be interpreted as a euphemism here), I still think they are all taught for a reason and help you to develop a better understanding of other topics in the field of engineering. So, to be honest, I wouldn’t abolish or fundamentally rewrite anything. Everything in life can be useful, just some things more than others.
Anonymous, studies Mechanical Engineering
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