Degrees are, in essence, a certificate that you are capable of learning things by rote and regurgitating them later, possibly applying a small amount of thought (but not too much).
I can completely attest to that. I've got a degree in theoretical astrophysics and did graduate work in Quantum Physics. If you ever try to apply more than a small amount of thinking to Quantum Mechanics, you'll explode faster than an electron and a positron having sex! Now, you may be asking - "How does this relate to NANOG" or "How does Eric's understanding of how Quantum Mechanics impacted the early Universe relate to his ability to run or design a network"? It doesn't, but neither does this thread.... Just my $0.02. Flame on. Eric :) "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics." -- Richard Feynman: