Public opinion. In software engineering, is there a distinct difference between knowledge and experience. Can you have knowledge and not have the experience?

I believe so.

I think knowledge refers to what you've known, whereas experience refers to what you've done. Theory and practice are not the same thing.

In theory, practice and theory should be the same. But in practice they are different

🙂

One is mental and the other is visceral.

On the other hand, I've met a developer or two with years of experience that never bothered to learn more than the least what they needed to know, and therefore had a lot of experience but not much knowledge

This can happen too. 10 years of thinking and doing things the same way can be 10 years of bad experience. It's important to have both when building your career and yourself. I like the T metaphor. Your knowledge should be broad like the top of the T but your skills should be deep like the bottom of the T. This expands your horizons and teaches new and useful techniques that you can use to enhance your specific set of skills.

T-shape is cool, π-shape is even better 🙂

Care to provide a nice explanation?

Ask yourself why you would not give a driver's license to someone who has never driven a car.

But what if he knows how to drive, he knows to hit brakes, hit gas etc. But he has only driven twice in a controlled space. Would you give him a license? After he showed you that knowledge by driving you in a controlled space.

In Canada it takes a long time to get a license. And the final test to get a full license, a G, requires demonstration of ones understanding and experience driving the vehicle in an uncontrolled space. A major Highway is often the final part of the test.