Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
31–40 of 74 posts
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#32It's harder than ever for young researchers to get initial grants. The pay is seriously lagging industry. In many cases, the resources at your disposal are substantially larger in industry as well. Meanwhile, universities are increasingly run by administrators. Faculty have more service requirements and less autonomy than in the past. Overhead expenses are higher than ever, as well. Furthermore! Tenured faculty are h…
The more I think about it, the more I come to the realization that academia isn't really a great place to be. Thankfully I'm at the start of my PhD and don't have a MS (I can drop out with the MS), so I'm not exactly stuck for the long run. The thing is, I'd really like the option to "retire" as a college professor after a decade or so in industry. Having a PhD in hand from early on in my career will make that much,…
From my perspective as someone who's moved from academia (mathematics) to industry (driverless taxis) to startup founder (Overleaf), it felt to me like all of my transitions were one way only. Whilst I admit I'm not at the point of looking to go back into academia yet, I can't honestly see a path back.
I've written more about this here if you're interested: http://johnhammersley.com/?p=381
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
CGI, like the rest of the film/tv industry, will go where the money is best. There is nothing in film/tv production that cannot be loaded into a truck and shipped elsewhere overnight ... people included. Work is moving to canada for the tax credits but you'd be surprised at how many "canadian" productions are actually filmed overseas. TheBorgias was canadian. Versailles, filmed in france with brit actors, is supporte…
> There is nothing in film/tv production that cannot be loaded into a truck and shipped elsewhere overnight ... people included. Once you include people, how many other industries would be any different? Mining, tourism, oil drilling seem tied to a set location, but assembling something? Tech or not, seems you could just ship the people and parts anywhere.
Physical stuff needs transportation, rail, river, or ocean. Small, expensive, intensive things like processors Can be made wherever.
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
>> ...universities are increasingly run by administrators. Faculty have more service requirements and less autonomy than in the past. I teach one course at a local university. I have near-total academic autonomy but I also have six different bosses, none of which actually teach. A new term just started. I show up at the staff room to learn that I cannot get on the wifi or classroom podiums until I "accept" my latest…
> Interview processes and resume writing are more important to them than actual knowledge. This should be unsurprising. For many, many jobs, the actual knowledge requirements are dwarfed by the importance placed on interview skills and a polished resume.
and likewise, college's role as somewhere to learn stuff is dwarfed by its role as a mandatory credential for employment
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#35When reading the title I interpreted this as being that scientists show signs of old age earlier. (aging faster). Due to stress or whatever it would have been. Quite the misinterpretation there :-)
Likewise. Poor English. Science sector, not scientists.
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#36Well, at least where I live the problem seems to be one of availability of positions.
Older scientists took all the positions and basically closed the doors to new entrants when it comes to any kind of contract (we work on scholarships), so most of us just changes jobs to industry (which is ratter easy) and don't pursue a scientific career.
Of course now that those older scientists should be retiring, there aren't enough younger scientists to do their work because they pushed so many of them away.
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#37My dad's one of them. He retired a few years ago. The way he puts it, electrical engineering research isn't what it used to be, because all of the "big" discoveries in that field have been made. So aside from a fraction of the researchers it's largely a technician's job. At the same time, he says that if he had applied to the same school he studied at and worked at for all of his life, there's no way he'd beat the co…
> And that's before factoring in the cost of college now.
Which brings us to the next question: can a modern college loan be repaid on typical academia pay?
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#38When reading the title I interpreted this as being that scientists show signs of old age earlier. (aging faster). Due to stress or whatever it would have been. Quite the misinterpretation there :-)
I almost thought that was a clickbait intention.
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#39Lack of sleep and publishing pressures probably play aml major role.
Re: Scientists Aging Faster Than Other Workers
#40It's harder than ever for young researchers to get initial grants. The pay is seriously lagging industry. In many cases, the resources at your disposal are substantially larger in industry as well. Meanwhile, universities are increasingly run by administrators. Faculty have more service requirements and less autonomy than in the past. Overhead expenses are higher than ever, as well. Furthermore! Tenured faculty are h…
>> ...universities are increasingly run by administrators. Faculty have more service requirements and less autonomy than in the past. I teach one course at a local university. I have near-total academic autonomy but I also have six different bosses, none of which actually teach. A new term just started. I show up at the staff room to learn that I cannot get on the wifi or classroom podiums until I "accept" my latest…
I think you should probably congratulate them on interrogating a first hand source on a topic that's important to them.