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Nuclear fusion project.

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nrml:
You left out Michael Faraday who in my opinion was one of the greatest human beings to ever walk the face of this earth.

Some of the men you listed were exceptions. They were the proverbial lights that couldn't be hidden. Fortunately for some of the others, they were in the right place at the right time in history and they made the most of opportunities that fell their way (all credit to them for doing so).

Sadly, it is still true that if you are average or even below average and you go to the right institutions and play the networking game right, you are more likely to be successful and make it to 'higher level' than someone more capable than you who didn't have the opportunities you did. Not everyone is born a genius who will make it against all odds but there are lots of very very smart people out there whose talents are stifled by their backgrounds.

edproject:
Hi,

Not sure how I came across this thread but It sure is interesting knowing what people think. Sorry if I'm bringing up an old post.

I think nrml pretty much hit the nail on the head, I had the top marks, but not from a well off background and like you say unless you go to the top school and know the right people it's hard to get anywhere. The reason I created my website and embark on sometimes crazy projects is to put myself out there, attract attention and maybe get someone to sponsor me or just to show an employer I'm not your average Joe, that I'm ambitious and I will be seen for what I can do and not what my "social" status is on paper.

I have to say though, selling the nuclear project, some deuterium and something call an exploding wire attracted quite a lot of attention, they were all bought, some Cambridge professor shared his nuclear research notes with me, and I'm pretty sure the government was onto me too,  :loco:, and then I looked at the traffic on my website and places like South Korea and Russia have looked at it. I did keep the project mostly secret and only posted it on places like facebook when I sold it, not that I was doing anything wrong, but people always get the wrong end of the stick.

So I guess I was stuck in a rutt for a while at work, when you've finished college, started earning good money you've never had before, bought the workshops you've dreamed of its hard to make a change. I was a cnc machinist in my last job, age was always a big factor, age counted more over experience to begin with, then there was all the maintenance I did, the early starts, the late finishes, the apprentice training, the tool making, and the actual machining, the poor working environment, etc... Put it this way, it was a company of 20 people, and 4 including me left in the last 6 months, not in bottom roles either, in the 5 years I worked there about 14 left, that's the kind of place I worked.

So when work really starts affecting your health you must really think of yourself, so after a lot of consideration moving to Canada was a fresh start. Hopefully the grass is greener, but hey if we never throw ourselves in the deep end we always think what if, or we drown,  :doh:.

I sure wish I could have continued with the nuclear project, or my batman grappling gun project, :P. But I don't have a garage here in Canada "yet" so just gonna do electronic projects for now.
I'm sure I might drop a few post here and then, more crazy projects probably.

NormanV:
I have to chip in on the "old school tie" part of this thread. I have finished my working life, I have never felt that I have been held back by not going to the "right" school. I have had an interesting working life and spent the last 20 years of it as a teacher, mostly in private schools but also in state schools. The difference is one of attitude, the majority of the students in the private schools appreciated the value of their education. In the state schools a larger proportion of students were disruptive. The privately educated students left with the confidence to get on in life and had a better chance of succeeding. What is success? You can be the only judge of your own life.

edproject:
I agree that in most it is the attitude and ambition of the student, but some need to be taught the correct attitude first. I think the major problem is a students background, those that are disruptive normally have home issues, probably why they vent their frustration at school, nothing worse than being stressed and studying. I remember one of them saying, "I can claim more on benefits than getting a job", probably because their parents had the same attitude. I guess most of the private school kids are successful because their parents are, there's normally a safe environment, little stress, they are encouraged to do well and generally most do.

I went to a college in an area that had a not so good stigma attached to it, I used to apply for jobs every now and then to test the water, the ones I got interviews with were normally too far to commute and had never even heard of the college, I don't know if it was coincidental or the job market, but I've had friends say, "oh you went to that college", if they're saying it, are employers. I do think if two graduates applied for a job, one Cambridge, the other a non-descript, I'm sure the Cambridge would get the job 90% of the time, but again I'm sure extra little bits on the CV can go a long way, then again if you know the boss then you probably don't need a degree.

NormanV:
Yes, the parents encourage their children and give them goals to work to. I don't think that you can compare yourself to kids that struggle to achieve. You definitely are an achiever, you will go far. Yes, a Cambridge graduate will get the job. Because they will have passed through one of the best educational establishments in the world.

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