Forget Academia. Startups Are the Future of Knowledge

The startup world is beating academics at their own game.

Now, we obviously require specialized experts (as opposed to dilettantes) to solve specific problems; think about the field of medicine, for example. Yet the most exciting inventions occur at the boundaries of disciplines, among those who can bring different ideas from different fields together. As Robert Twigger noted, "Invention fights specialisation at every turn."

In fact, some of the most exciting advancements in computing right now come from the field of deep learning — which itself draws from multiple fields: neuroscience, cognitive psychology, machine learning, natural language/ linguistics, computer vision, mathematics — to make the next step of AI possible. Companies such as Facebook, Google, IBM, and Microsoft are all involved.

Samuel Arbesman

Full Story: http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/12/165191/