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Too Few American Scientists? Maybe Not

Posted by michael on from the simple-economics dept.

An anonymous reader writes "We've been hearing about bad K-12 science education, too few American science and engineering students, and the real-soon-now employment nirvana in technical fields for, like, the last 20 years. The reality: rising undergrad enrollments and unemployment rates, long years as an underpaid postdoc for those who finish a Ph.D. The Chronicle of Higher Education article quotes Harvard economist Richard Freeman: 'They're not studying science,' he says, 'because they look and say, "Do I want to be a postdoc paid $35,000 or $40,000 at age 35, with extreme uncertainty working in somebody else's lab, and maybe getting credit for my work and maybe not getting full credit? Or would I rather be an M.B.A. and making $150,000 and hiring Ph.D.'s?"'"

6 of 607 comments (clear)

  1. FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    LIPSTICK LESBIANs rule.

    1. Re:FP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

      LIPSTICK LESBIANs rule.

      How accurate is this statement? Do we have an American scientist in the house who would like to inform the possiblities of this being true?

  2. Re:I'll take the Ph.D., thank you by ifwm · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    While I can tell you are just being an asshole to get a response, I'll bite.

    If you read my post carefully (sound it out, it's not that hard) I said that money probably WAS the primary motivator FOR UNDERGRADS. The case is generally different for Graduate students, because that much school doesn't often equate to a significant increase in pay.

    Have a nice day.

  3. Re:I'll take the Ph.D., thank you by NoMoreNicksLeft · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Ouch, Not that I don't troll sometimes, but damn, was a simple mistake, a brainfart. Read it quickly, and could have sworn I saw an "n't" that wasn't there. Now who's the asshole?

  4. Re:I'll take the Ph.D., thank you by ifwm · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    That would still be you.

  5. Re:After 25 years in engineering I went elsewhere. by cubicledrone · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I don't have to suck up to my boss because my industry is a meritocracy. I enjoy the freedom that comes from being able to switch jobs anytime because good people are always in demand.

    So, what color is the sky outside?

    --
    Business isn't willing to pay for products, innovation and careers, so we get brands, mortgage commercials and layoffs.