What do people talk about on Reddit?
There is a surprisingly diverse set of topic on optics in Reddit. They range from asking advice to light up cosplays to asking for complex physics and mathematical equations. The differences between Reddit vs. Twitter or the news, is that there are a lot of questions about building careers and pleas for education advice. It seems most of the Reddit users are students exploring optics, but there were also a surprising number of professionals.
Interesting debates?
Elfferich, Jeroen. "Big Brother Congestion" 11/28/06 via Flickr. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.
1) I was interested in an economic debate involving optics: whether traffic cameras are safety measures or money makers. Denver in particular was debating whether to keep their traffic cameras. The cameras are responsible for millions of dollars worth of tickets. The controversy is that citizens claim the cities only want to increase their revenue. The debate grew all the way to Senate but a bill proposed to ban traffic cameras ultimately failed because of the stats of decreased accidents. This is a common debate in optics. People immediately rebel against the idea of surveillance, despite how it can improve safety. This will always be a sensitive issue- the ethical uses of tech and cameras.
NOAA Satellites. "Jason-3 Satellite Rendering" 4/16/15 via Flickr. Public Domain Mark 1.0.
2) Another debate was on surveillance in space. As space belongs to no country, there are world treaties that forbid weapons in space. However, there are no laws about placing surveillance cameras in space- some of which are commercial and open to the public such as those offered by Planet Labs and Skybox. Businesses have used purchased footage to learn about customer habits and other similar techniques. However, these cameras are also used to track satellites and space debris for safety. This is yet another instance where ethics, science and economics clash.
My impression of optics from Reddit:
I had expected most of the Reddit users to be students. However, there were a surprising number of professionals- both starting and experienced. A bunch of the starting professionals were sharing their own education choices and advice for the students. The experienced professionals helped answer extremely technical math and physics problems. One great thing was that I did not notice anyone spouting info without sources or backing(at least in the very very small section of Reddit I explored) and there were many educational resources shared that I think I may find helpful as I figure out what it is I exactly want to do with my education.
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