4 ms·

Are they really the 'best' minds if that is what they choose to do? Not in my opinion.

piva00 5y ago
I'd change "the best minds" to the "some of the most educated and technically prepared minds". And it's not only to click ads, there is a whole lot of engineers (even more in poorer countries such as Brazil) who end up working in banks and finance, mostly to deal with complex spreadsheets. It's a complete waste of educational investment.
- MperorM 5y ago
  Spreadsheets and finance has tremendous value!
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
wyre 5y ago
I think their described as ‘best’ minds because they graduated top of their class at Ivy League, leading California school, etc.
hoseja 5y ago
Well, the idea is that they demand the highest salary and those who pay the highest salary are companies interested in improving ad-clicking. It's not "abstractly best" but "empirically best". If you get the most money, you are by some definition the best.
- p1esk 5y ago
  The companies might be interested in add clicking, but they are willing to hire extraordinary people who work on whatever they feel like.
nickalaso 5y ago
If by "best" we mean, most educated, most capable of solving engineering problems, "highest IQ" etc. (Which is how we generally define best in this context) Then yes. There used to be a big incentive for the smart scientific and engineering minded types to go into academia, but now the majority go into either financial services or tech work because that is where the high salaries and actual problem solving are.
gtt 5y ago
It is the society failing them by not setting the right priorities.
hoppyhoppy2 5y ago
I read the "best minds of my generation" comment as a reference to the opening line of Howl by Allen Ginsburg. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl Though I don't know if it was an intentional reference or just a coincidence.
- w0de0 5y ago
  Of course it was an intentional reference! The meat of the meaning is in the reference, not the plain words!
mattkrause 5y ago
That's not really fair. If you want to do fundamental research, the jobs are very scarce and, in many cases, not particularly good in terms of salary, stability, or location. A postdoc in the life sciences makes $50-65k/year, often either in a) a high cost-of-living area (Boston, SF) or b) a land-grant institution in the middle of nowhere, which is tough with a partner. These are usually short contracts too--mine is renewed annually. Faculty and Pharma jobs pay better, obviously, but are also pretty thin on the ground. I like doing research that makes the world better, but doing so is an incredible luxury, even coming from a decently middle-class background. If my family were even slightly poorer, there's no way this would be possible and if one of them were to get sick or hurt, I can't imagine how I'd be able to stick it out. It doesn't have to be this way, obviously. We could fund more stable positions--and I think it'd probably work out to more/better science per dollar spent. But right now...we definitely don't.

I'd change "the best minds" to the "some of the most educated and technically prepared minds". And it's not only to click ads, there is a whole lot of engineers (even more in poorer countries such as Brazil) who end up working in banks and finance, mostly to deal with complex spreadsheets. It's a complete waste of educational investment.

MperorM 5y ago
Spreadsheets and finance has tremendous value!
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

wyre 5y ago

I think their described as ‘best’ minds because they graduated top of their class at Ivy League, leading California school, etc.

hoseja 5y ago

Well, the idea is that they demand the highest salary and those who pay the highest salary are companies interested in improving ad-clicking. It's not "abstractly best" but "empirically best". If you get the most money, you are by some definition the best.

p1esk 5y ago
The companies might be interested in add clicking, but they are willing to hire extraordinary people who work on whatever they feel like.

nickalaso 5y ago

If by "best" we mean, most educated, most capable of solving engineering problems, "highest IQ" etc. (Which is how we generally define best in this context) Then yes. There used to be a big incentive for the smart scientific and engineering minded types to go into academia, but now the majority go into either financial services or tech work because that is where the high salaries and actual problem solving are.

gtt 5y ago

It is the society failing them by not setting the right priorities.

hoppyhoppy2 5y ago

I read the "best minds of my generation" comment as a reference to the opening line of Howl by Allen Ginsburg. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/49303/howl Though I don't know if it was an intentional reference or just a coincidence.

w0de0 5y ago
Of course it was an intentional reference! The meat of the meaning is in the reference, not the plain words!

mattkrause 5y ago

That's not really fair. If you want to do fundamental research, the jobs are very scarce and, in many cases, not particularly good in terms of salary, stability, or location. A postdoc in the life sciences makes $50-65k/year, often either in a) a high cost-of-living area (Boston, SF) or b) a land-grant institution in the middle of nowhere, which is tough with a partner. These are usually short contracts too--mine is renewed annually. Faculty and Pharma jobs pay better, obviously, but are also pretty thin on the ground. I like doing research that makes the world better, but doing so is an incredible luxury, even coming from a decently middle-class background. If my family were even slightly poorer, there's no way this would be possible and if one of them were to get sick or hurt, I can't imagine how I'd be able to stick it out. It doesn't have to be this way, obviously. We could fund more stable positions--and I think it'd probably work out to more/better science per dollar spent. But right now...we definitely don't.