I've Solved the Deficit

[Boris Godunov]

The trick is to get a PhD and then get out of academia as quickly as you can.

Why? It's pretty sweet being a tenured professor at a state university.

[dannubis]

The trick is to get a PhD and then get out of academia as quickly as you can.

QFT

[dannubis]

Why? It's pretty sweet being a tenured professor at a state university.

Not if you want actually want to achieve something in life...

[Jon Miller]

It's pretty difficult becoming a tenured professor at a state university. KH might think otherwise, but I think he would have a difficult time finding a good position. Right now, however, he is making a greater contribution than most professors and is paid much more (I think).

JM

[Elok]

More than just going to war we also have to project force to defend our trade routes and overseas interests.

True enough, but it's not like we're up to our eyeballs in pirates. Does "overseas interests" = territories, or is that phrase another way of saying "use intimidation to get what we want?"

[KrazyHorse]

It's pretty difficult becoming a tenured professor at a state university. KH might think otherwise, but I think he would have a difficult time finding a good position. Right now, however, he is making a greater contribution than most professors and is paid much more (I think).

JM

Why would I disagree? I'm not that good a physicist.

[Lorizael]

Dude, you have no idea how terrible academic research is. You work on small problems that nobody on Earth cares about for years at a time. The entire time you're trying to outpace the one other guy who's busy solving the same problem you are. I got scooped TWICE while doing my doctoral research, and the worst part is, in ten years nobody's going to give a **** about the problems I was trying to solve.

The only people who enjoy research are sociopaths and other emotional dysfunctionals.

But you do believe we need people doing research, right?

[KrazyHorse]

Not as many as we have in academia...

[Jon Miller]

Now I really don't want to get a PhD...and my friends keep telling me grad school is where it's at

As if they know anything about it...

For smart, competitive, driven, men graduate school is where it is at because there are lots of other smart, competitive, driven men there. You also get to do interesting things.

On the other hand:
http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html
http://philip.greenspun.com/careers/women-in-science
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~dg/crunch_art.html

That being said, I planned to go to graduate school when I was ~12. I didn't do anything special for graduate school until I was in my senior year of college, and I applied to PhD programs in both mathematics and physics.

And yeah, you aren't really in a position to think about it right now. If you focus on academics, then you will be prepared to go.

JM

[Lorizael]

Not as many as we have in academia...

The private sector, then?

[KrazyHorse]

The private sector is oversupplied with disappointed academics.

We need a publicity campaign to explain to prospective graduate students that 99% of them will become academic failures

[Asher]

My solution:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...oices=hw4rh058

You don't go far enough. Look at all of that wasted money just for national pride (excessive military size, pointless wars).

My version solves the deficit without killing old people.

Also, WTF would you cut medicare but not reinstate an estate tax? Are you that much of an *******?

Here's my FINAL SOLUTION:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=hzxj766s

[giblets]

I think you made a mistake. Your link is the same as HC's.

[Asher]

Fixed.

[Boris Godunov]

It's pretty difficult becoming a tenured professor at a state university. KH might think otherwise, but I think he would have a difficult time finding a good position. Right now, however, he is making a greater contribution than most professors and is paid much more (I think).

JM

Not to disparage what KH does, but what exactly is the contribution being made by working for GS?

Certainly people could make more money outside of academia, but so what? If everyone based their career choices solely on how much money they would make, that would probably not be in society's best interests. Being a tenured professor is a pretty cushy, enjoyable life. At least, my dad certainly thinks so!