[pkrotich]

Sounds to me like you intimidated by thier degrees and whatnot! I would say build up your confidence on your core work and focus on solving problem at hand!

A good way to do that is be open to them explaining stuff to you - they'll yap away while you halfway listen as you focus on your core task, don't try to be at thier level. Be a student.

Think of it this way a car mechanic probably knows way more, about engines for example,than a car designer.