Ask HN: Is CS research mostly discovery while novel game dev mostly invention?
1•amichail•5h ago
Should students use this as a guide when deciding between the two?
Comments
bigyabai•5h ago
Why do they have to be dialectical in the first place? What is your reason for trying to categorize either career? Do you have any supporting evidence for your claims?
We can't meaningfully discuss these questions without more context. Your title is a loaded question; most people don't try to label each archetype because they can be radically different people. By presupposing that they exist in different worlds, you're already making this question hostile to interpretation and response. Please, if you have to beg the question like this, at least illustrate your thought process so we can understand what you're trying to say.
amichail•5h ago
I think students don't think enough about the difference between discovery and invention and this could result in choosing an ill-suited career.
While scientific discovery is important, it might not be as fun or intellectually rewarding as invention for most students.
inhumantsar•4h ago
"Discovery" and "invention" can be fuzzy ideas. In the past I've framed this distinction as "science" vs "engineering" since it links directly to a student's classes and possible careers.
Typically I reach for material (or rocket) science and aerospace engineering as my analogy: "Do you want to build rockets or dream up better rocket engines?" What I like most about the analogy is that it gets people thinking about their options without implying that the choice they make today has to define their entire career.
After all, there are plenty of rocket scientists and aerospace engineers working in industry, just as there are plenty of both doing research at universities.
Side note: The super specific "novel game dev" thing is a little weird to me. There is as much invention happening outside of game development as there is regular ass work happening inside game development.
bigyabai•5h ago
We can't meaningfully discuss these questions without more context. Your title is a loaded question; most people don't try to label each archetype because they can be radically different people. By presupposing that they exist in different worlds, you're already making this question hostile to interpretation and response. Please, if you have to beg the question like this, at least illustrate your thought process so we can understand what you're trying to say.
amichail•5h ago
While scientific discovery is important, it might not be as fun or intellectually rewarding as invention for most students.
inhumantsar•4h ago
Typically I reach for material (or rocket) science and aerospace engineering as my analogy: "Do you want to build rockets or dream up better rocket engines?" What I like most about the analogy is that it gets people thinking about their options without implying that the choice they make today has to define their entire career.
After all, there are plenty of rocket scientists and aerospace engineers working in industry, just as there are plenty of both doing research at universities.
Side note: The super specific "novel game dev" thing is a little weird to me. There is as much invention happening outside of game development as there is regular ass work happening inside game development.