5 ms·
I went through grad school and I saw how change comes about one funeral at a time. A big shot professor that has made their name with their pet theory/work will
by raziel2701 5y ago
I went through grad school and I saw how change comes about one funeral at a time. A big shot professor that has made their name with their pet theory/work will fiercely defend it against competing ideas, and people will defer to their expertise. It's not scientific, it's egotistic. They are a wall against progress that gets removed upon death. These professors can also create a dogma through their students who also all rely on the continued success of their theory for their employment. The incentives are misaligned against accepting new theories if it means someone will lose prestige.
This article resonated strongly with me.
- bee_rider 5y agoThere's always the quote attributed to Clarke, "If an elderly but distinguished scientist says that something is possible, he is almost certainly right; but if he says that it is impossible, he is very probably wrong." It is unfortunate -- sometimes very smart people try good ideas, but the world isn't quite ready yet so they fail, move on to something different, and write off the old idea.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- ta988 5y agoExactly the reason why I left academia. Egos competing for space, money or talk-time to defend themselves not the progress of science.
- mnl 5y agoWe tend to romanticise it, but in the end it's just another job. It shouldn't, because selling you doing science is not the same as doing science, but on the other hand social expectations are that you must have a job, so what kind of exemption were we hoping for exactly? Once you realise it's ordinary people looking for whatever ordinary people look for anywhere else everything falls into place. Some science gets done regardless, we're talking about professionals here.
- paulpauper 5y agoAcademia can be likened more to a clergy or priesthood than a job. Although academics are expected to publish, it's not like the results or output are as tangible or quantifiable compared to most jobs.
- mnl 5y agoWell, it's not that. Output is quantifiable and expected, try to survive doing your thing before tenure (at least and don't). Alas, the Republic of Letters is long gone. Kind of an ought-is problem.
- paulpauper 5y agoCornel West has only published 3-4 or so slim volumes in 4 decades. how does he still have a job?
- mnl 5y agoI don't know, I've mentioned tenure though. I know that Peter Higgs has published IIRC 11? papers and that he's talked about his former status at his departament and not being productive enough for the modern academic system.
- throwkway69 5y agohttp://www.cornelwest.com/books.html#.YZlPiWiIY4M http://www.cornelwest.com/books.html#.YZlPiWiIY4M
- NotSammyHagar 5y agoThat was about 15 books, several I've heard of, but it's unclear about academic papers at least on that web page. He's clearly making an impact with his ideas.
- ejstronge 5y ago
- varelse 5y agoBut that's the system we built. Starting in college you're going to spend a decade and a half studying to be a world-class expert researching a topic of your own choosing. And as soon as you become a professor you stop doing research and start begging for research funding so others can do what you did. And no one sees the problem with this so it continues.
- notreallyserio 5y agoI can't help but wonder how much better our governments would operate if the median age of their workers were somewhat lower (IIRC that's around 45).
- sidlls 5y agoThat's more than a little ageist. Age has little to do with it. I've worked for--and been managed by--thick-headed, egotistical 20-somethings and stodgy older folks alike. Youth who think they're forging new territory usually aren't, but there are plenty who think they are and have an arrogance about it that is insufferable.
- msla 5y ago> Youth who think they're forging new territory usually aren't But that's part of the point of the article: The territory actively changes, so even if it's the same location in some sense, it's still new territory, ripe for exploration. Old people can see that, but it requires looking with fresh eyes, as opposed to only being willing to see what was there decades ago.
- sidlls 5y agoI don't see how doubling down on the ageism brings anything to the discussion. Old people aren't "only...willing to see what was there decades ago."
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]