Expert Skill

Defaults: None
Expert Skill (IQ/Hard) represents crossdisciplinary knowledge of a single, narrow theme. This is different from being an expert in a skill.
==Specialization Required==
Requires specialization by theme (examples):
* Computer Security; Can stand in for Computer Operation, Cryptography, or Electronics Operation to spot “holes” in the security of a computer system
* Conspiracy Theory; does not give knowledge of Hidden Lore
* Egyptology; Can function as Anthropology, Archaeology, History, Linguistics, or Occultism regarding ancient Egypt.
* Epidemiology; Can serve as Biology, Diagnosis, Forensics, Geography, or Mathematics when deducing how a disease was spread.
* Hydrology; Can be used in place of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, or Meteorology to answer questions about precipitation, flooding, irrigation, etc.
* Military Science
* Natural Philosophy; can replace specific science skills at TL1-4.
* Political Science; Can substitute for Geography, History, Law, Politics, or Sociology when performing political analysis
* Psionics: Can function as Biology, Diagnosis, Physician, Physiology, or Psychology when dealing with psi phenomena in living beings. Cannot substitute for Electronics Operation, Electronics Repair, and Engineer specialties that deal with psychotronics.
* Thanatology; Can stand in for Anthropology, Archaeology, Occultism, or Theology when dealing with death and the dead.
* Xenology; Can substitute for Anthropology, History, Physiology, or Psychology to identify a member of a race different from your own, or to answer general questions about the race and its culture.
==Note==
On a practical level this is just a place holder for Hard skills that don't seem to have an adventuring application out of very special circumstances and serve mainly as a way to flesh out a character.
==Flaws with Skill as presented==
Of the three skills to cover those not in the game (Hobby, Professional, and Expert), Expert Skill is the only one of them that states it can "never provide the ability to do practical tasks" 
As the Explain to me about Professional Skills thread shows this creates so many logic problems that it could be argued that it goes into moon logic land.
The biggest problem is the examples contradict the practical task limitation and produces new knowledge interpretation.
Examples:
*Computer Security's "spot “holes” in the security of a computer system" is both practical and produces new knowledge because spotting a hole that was missed would be new knowledge
*Epidemiology's "deducing how a disease was spread" is new "knowledge" (more accurately hypothesis) and is demonstrated time and time again in Paul de Kruif 1926's Microbe Hunters. William H. McNeill's 1976 Plagues and Peoples is another example
*Hydrology's "answer questions about precipitation, flooding, irrigation, etc." is very practical to a farmer wants know how often it rains in a region and if the field he wants to plant is prone to flooding.
*Military Science's "answer questions about – but not use – weapons or strategies" Basically Sun Tzu's Art of War which is so practical that it is still used some 2,500 years after he joined his ancestors.
*Natural Philosophy's "answer questions about how the universe is believed to work" is so freaking broad that not being able to pull any practical information out of it is hard to imagine.
It certainly doesn't help that nearly all the examples are effectively professions which use a host of skills making where the expert skill ends and the regular skills begin a royal pain. For example, just where does Expert Skill (Egyptology) end and Anthropology (Egyptology) and/or Archaeology (Egyptology) begin?
If anything "Expert Skill" comes off at best as a poor man's Wildcard Skill and at worst a lazy way to get around figuring out what actual skills make up a profession.
==Alternative Version==
A large collection of little "cerebral" 'skills' that are of little value by themselves, but are learned together in a package because you really only know very specific applications of them.
Professional Skill is best summed up in Crewman, Soldier, and Survival. There are a lot of little 'skills' that are of value by themselves, but are learned together in a package because you really only know very specific applications of them. These skills often also cover learned behaviors, like a soldier always keeping his kit prepped and ready, a spacer stowing all loose items before leaving a room, a survivalist properly dousing the campfire before breaking camp.
Expert Skill is effectively a souped up Professional skill, the topics are more 'cerebral' and the knowledge is broader. Honestly I most often see this come up as a Complimentary Skill to other skills* that would fall under its 'cross disciplinary' umbrella.
==See Also==
*Hobby Skill
*Professional Skill
==Reference==
*Basic Set pg 193
Category:Skills