No grants, no tenure. No tenure, no career. In chemistry, there’s a commercial path in biotech/pharma, but I’m not sure there’s a similar one in biology. Certainly not in physics.
If you want to be an academic, and there’s appeal advantages in being a tenured prof, you have to chase opportunities. What advantages you might ask? Always being at or near the forefront. Always being surrounded by young, bright people. A collegial, worldwide culture. Reasonably good compensation with a chance of commercial activity.
onecommentman•6mo ago
Physicists have had and have options at DoD and DoE Laboratories and military contractors, at minimum. Whatever industrial labs that are still around as well. “Certainly”?
That pesky word “career”, what a sorry substitute for an actual life. Perhaps people would be better off without it.
The title of the article is a bit off-putting. Makes the scientists sound like they are holding their breath until they turn blue unless they get that new doll. Professionals for many decades have started their lives outside of the US and done just fine. If they return to the US, as they most often do, they return with unique skills and experiences that makes the US stronger.
jleyank•6mo ago
If you want to be an academic, and there’s appeal advantages in being a tenured prof, you have to chase opportunities. What advantages you might ask? Always being at or near the forefront. Always being surrounded by young, bright people. A collegial, worldwide culture. Reasonably good compensation with a chance of commercial activity.
onecommentman•6mo ago
That pesky word “career”, what a sorry substitute for an actual life. Perhaps people would be better off without it.
The title of the article is a bit off-putting. Makes the scientists sound like they are holding their breath until they turn blue unless they get that new doll. Professionals for many decades have started their lives outside of the US and done just fine. If they return to the US, as they most often do, they return with unique skills and experiences that makes the US stronger.