3 ms·
Best economic use you ask? Well the whole point of the Economist article is that in most academic fields there's an incredible oversupply of PhDs. What's the us
by sfard 16y ago
Best economic use you ask? Well the whole point of the Economist article is that in most academic fields there's an incredible oversupply of PhDs. What's the use of a 1,000 houses in a town of 100 people?
Here's the source of the problem as I see it. The PhDs I know are largely risk intolerant and stay in academia because it's a comfortable way to pursue their passion. They're used to asking for permission and people evaluating them along very specific guidelines. When they enter the real or corporate world, they're used to this attitude of asking for permission to do things. They expect universities or corporations to find a use for their talent instead of architecting one themselves.
So what is their economic use? They need to figure that out. One solution would be to design a system that prepares them better for a world that's a lot more dynamic than their specific area of expertise might be.
- kd0amg 16y agoWhat's the use of a 1,000 houses in a town of 100 people? I don't think we gain much by assuming that a person with a PhD is only good for one thing when trying to find another use for them.
- ebiester 16y agoLet me rephrase: What are the best economic uses for highly intelligent, non-technical people, who are very good at sitting down, reading, and synthesizing information from a variety of sources? Most of the jobs that would be suggested are ones like law and journalism, both of whom are highly competitive as well. It's estimated that fewer than 400 people make a living off of fiction, and non-fiction in most cases is a field owned by academics. Further, most auxiliary careers, such as political analysts, draw from academia. So, if this is your top talent, you only have a few options, and other than law, academia actually is one of your best chances to use your top talent. It's a bit like athletics in this society. If you are very strong and very fast, you have a very limited amount of economically viable options for you. The NBA is a long, long shot, but if you are 6'9 and fast, and that is your primary talent, what do you do?
- tome 16y agoIt's estimated that fewer than 400 people make a living off of fiction Wow, can you point me to a reference for this statement? I find it remarkable.
- ebiester 16y agoIt's bandied about in some writing communities, I'm looking for it. I know that it was referenced as a Columbia study in http://www.dansimmons.com/writing_welll/archive/2009_12.html http://www.dansimmons.com/writing_welll/archive/2009_12.html via http://www.asimovs.com/aspnet_forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=3615 http://www.asimovs.com/aspnet_forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=36... though.
- hnhg 16y agoMaybe your observation holds true for the majority, but in my case my PhD taught me how to be self-reliant, work autonomously, plan ahead and cope with a high workload. Now that I've switched to industry, I've found these qualities are serving me extremely well. However, I've tried motivating some former colleagues to make the switch and they just won't so maybe you have a point. But I would refrain from stereotyping.