Computer Students on the Margin
Episode Number: 1902Publication Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2007
I like economics so much that I’d like to be an actor. You know, so I could play an economist on TV.
Actually be one? I believe in the division of labor, leaving that job for others.
Interestingly, the number of young people who actually want to become economists is increasing. A recent report on college enrollments shows that computer science is on the way out. Economics? On the way in.
People at Microsoft and elsewhere are worrying. Where will they get their future talent to make further progress in technology? People wonder whether there’s a major malfunction in the education market, since more kids are heading towards economics rather than computer science.
But I wonder: Mightn’t this reflect an emerging consensus? We have really cool computers. Great software. Amazing technology. Sure, I still have trouble getting my email, but other people seem to be having a grand time working with their computers.
Maybe students have come to an economic conclusion: marginal returns to further computer development will not be as high as marginal returns to investment in other disciplines by people who know how to use computers to do work. Actual work.
And if that’s the case, the last thing we need is another government program to encourage more progress in a realm that will lead to only very small improvements.
Better to let the market decide. At least, that’s what my favorite economists would say.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
Comments(0)
