I find it uproariously laughable every time you imply that first-hand experience is a necessary factor in the human learning experience. If that were the case we would all be living in caves and communicating via grunts and other primitive pre-language sounds. Fortunately most of us are quite capable of learning from the experiences of others via a variety of means of communication.
I here what you're saying. You go to college to learn knowledge that others have gleaned, even at the Masters level. At a higher level though, your analogy fails you. You get a Ph.D awarded to you based on YOUR research, efforts, and findings. I'm not aware of anyone having a Ph.D in "riflery", but if there was such a thing, Barsness would be its first recipient.
