> Universities are a bit of a self-perpetuating reputation scheme, and the UK has been punching well above its weight in that department. Someone like Peter Th

> Universities are a bit of a self-perpetuating reputation scheme, and the UK has been punching well above its weight in that department. Someone like Peter Thiel would maybe argue that the difference in risk taking in the UK and the US is actually reflected in the relatively high number of high UK university rankings? I'm far from Thiel in my general perspectives but it's worth noting that in certain circles there's sort of an ambivalent — if not outright hostile — attitude toward universities in the US and that ambivalence is only increasing. I think a Thiel-like person might think it odd to draw a direct line between some reputational rankings of universities and startup culture, and might flip the whole thing on its head and argue it's evidence of problems with universities today. I don't necessarily agree with this perspective but do think it's maybe worth pointing out some of the implicit assumptions being made in the essay.