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Market-demand tends to be a very short-sighted way of organising a society. You'd think we'd want more and more researchers in general, even if their research

• tatersolid 8y ago
  Note many/most of these excess PhDs are not “researchers” in the pure sciences. We’re talking bout PhDs in fields like “environmental psychology” as mentioned in the article. Such invented pursuits have minimal societal benefit. It’s unsurprising that society is unwilling to subsidize many tenured positions in the study of bullshit.
  • speedplane 8y ago
    > We’re talking bout PhDs in fields like “environmental psychology” as mentioned in the article. Such invented pursuits have minimal societal benefit. From the internet: "Environmental psychologists often study how the built or physical environment affects human behavior. They may conduct research on this topic, or apply their knowledge to designing safe and ergonomic spaces that are conducive to emotional well-being, such as colorful, open floor plans." Building appealing work and home-spaces may not save the world, but why isn't it a worthy area of research?
  • _emacsomancer_ 8y ago
    > Note many/most of these excess PhDs are not “researchers” in the pure sciences. People studying mediaeval literature can also be researchers. > Such invented pursuits have minimal societal benefit. I'm sure this is true of some fields, but even fields which produce obvious societal benefits, and even fields which actually do produce PhD candidates who go on to have well-paying jobs in industry often have difficulty growing their departments.