Java & Java Script are the same thing aren't they...?

A little knowledge is dangerous...

Before I incur the wrath of all the programmers out there - I know they are not he same...

Java is an Object Oriented Programming (OOP) language created by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems, whilst JavaScript - originally known as LiveScript - was created by the chaps at Netscape...

JavaScript is related to Java in that it is an OOP language but contains simpler commands than it's big brother making it somewhat easier to use...

And that is all I know - still not very much - and in any case I thought Java was an Indonesian Island...

We all know very little...

If you consider what we "know" about the world and the experience we have as we go about living in it - our range of knowledge is broad but not deep...

And here lies the challenge - most people know lots of little pieces of information about a vast range of subjects; mainly thanks to Wikipedia and YouTube...

Then they will stitch together these tiny pieces of evidence to put forward a bizarre theory, principle or "law" to form a comfort blanket of knowledge, conspiracies and ideology that suddenly becomes true...

For example...

Apparently the World is Flat - LINK

AND...

Queen Elizabeth II is a reptile - LINK

If you look around the web, you can find evidence for just about any theory you like. Start with an idea and then find the evidence to prove it - simple, everyone can become a genius, guru and master wizard...

Problem #1

99.84% of these theories and ideas are made up on the spot, then questionable knowledge applied to unreliable evidence to produce a rule...

Problem #2

People believe what they are told and the more compelling and elegant the evidence, the more they will believe it - once it becomes accepted knowledge, it becomes a fact...

Problem #3

The same principles apply to life, business and relationships. If people don't "know" the answer they are looking for they will ask a friend, Google it, or ask a group on Facebook for advice and guidance...

Then they will start to create a theory for themselves. If there are any gaps in the theory, then they just make something up based on their "knowledge"...

There is a name for this...

This is known as the Dunning-Kruger Effect  in which individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly assessing their ability as much higher than it really is...

As evidence of our lack of depth of knowledge, consider how we experience the environment through our primary 5 senses - yes I know there are lots more in reality, but I'm sticking with 5 for purposes of my Blog...

#1 Sight...

We can see light in the visible spectrum. Our eyes can see electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 390 and 700 nm, or frequency of between 430 to 770 THz.

Lower down the wavelength range we have radio waves with wavelengths measured in kilometres and at the top end we have Gamma Rays with wavelengths measured in terms of 10 to the power -6 nm.

We only experience a tiny proportion of the information flowing around us in the electromagnetic spectrum and yet, if we can't see something we don't believe it is true..

#2 Sound...

there are a range of sounds that can be heard by the human ear - there are many more sounds that cannot be heard however. Humans can hear sounds that have a frequency of between 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

Ferrets can hear between 16 Hz and 44 kHz, Bats can hear up to 115 kHz and Dogs can hear up to 44 kHz - that's why Dog Whistles work...

There is lots of information flowing all around us that we just don't experience - and yet we think we know everything...

#3 Taste...

Our taste receptors are designed to tell us whether food is safe for us to eat. There are five basic "tastes" - saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness and umami (approximately translated from Japanese to savoury in English..)

We can only tolerate a narrow band of tastes - for example, if we use sugar we use in our drinks represented by the value 1.0 for sweetness, then Aspartame is rated at around 200 whilst Lugduname is rated ate approximately 300,000.

So again we only experience a narrow band of what is possible...

#4 Touch - using heat as an example...

If our bodies core temperature drops below 35 Degrees then we risk Hypothermia and risk organ failure and ultimately death.

If our core temperature rises to 40 Degrees, then we will suffer from Hyperthermia or acute heatstroke and die too..

So we have a tolerance band of just 5 Degrees Centigrade and yet the Temperature range runs from an Absolute Zero of -273 Degrees or 0 Degrees Kelvin - all the way up to Absolute Hot which is 1.416785(71) x 10 power 32.

We are almost nowhere on this scale...

#5 Smell...

Humans have around 5 million odour sensing cells distributed between two patches located high up in the nasal passages.

A Dog has around 220 million - and can sense odours that are far more subtle than we can. We have a Beagle and she can track scents and people just based on the scent the leave on a piece of clothing.

At Amsterdam airport they have a Beagle that will take items left on a plane, and based on scent alone, take the item to the passenger - locating them in a crowded airport just by their sense of smell...

So our sense of smell is a very narrow band too - we really aren't doing very well when it comes to our levels of knowledge and awareness...

So what...?

So when it comes to business, life and achievement; our first job is to recognise that we perhaps aren't as bright and all knowing as we think...

The second job is to find someone who DOES know - and take advice from them, rather than that mate of yours down the Pub...

Find people who have the depth and speciality of knowledge such that they can expand your frame of reference. They will expand the range of possibilities open to you simply because they will see, hear, touch, taste and smell opportunities, solutions and ideas that you can't...

Find people who don't have your experience - remember the Shreddies Advert...?

Campaign designed by someone with limited marketing experience that anyone with a Marketing degree would never have thought of..

People who think differently, see things in a different way, have a different spectrum and paradigm through which they view the world may just help you discover the best idea for your business, life or relationship...

A little knowledge is indeed dangerous...

Now if you's like to have someone come into your business with a different perspective, knowledge base and spectrum of ideas - drop me a note.

I have TWO Coaching Programmes available starting in March 2017 and before we get started there will be some preparation work to do so get on it now...

[email protected]

A?nd - back to the JavaScript...

If you are a great Programmer and you'd like the Top IT Recruitment specialists in Luxembourg to help you find that perfect career opportunity; they have way more knowledge about jobs in Luxembourg than your mates in the Pub will have...

And they really do know the difference between Java and JavaScript too..

Lancelot IT Recruitment - if you register with them I get a bar of chocolate, so do it now....

Ask for Mark, Christian or Guillaume - a great team and they'll look after you really well...

Get in touch with them - they have the knowledge you need and the ideas you haven't thought of yet...