I rember seeing an article about this in Chemical and Engineering News. The article (subscription required) discusses the globalization of science in terms of NSF count of scientific papers and publication in ACS journals. To make a long story short, the article concludes that the U.S. is still the leader in scientific output (as measured by publications), but it is decreasing as global competition heats up.
I would have to agree with you point about having an enjoyable postdoc period. I'm currently entering the 2nd year of my postdoc (by choice), and I have had a good experience.
Granted, I've had to provide my own motivation sometimes, but I've been given a high degree of freedom. I sometimes think people don't take enough care in choosing a postdoc. It's similar to choosing an advisor, one mistake could mean a lot of heartache and trouble.
Slashdot Mirror
I rember seeing an article about this in Chemical and Engineering News. The article (subscription required) discusses the globalization of science in terms of NSF count of scientific papers and publication in ACS journals. To make a long story short, the article concludes that the U.S. is still the leader in scientific output (as measured by publications), but it is decreasing as global competition heats up.
I would have to agree with you point about having an enjoyable postdoc period. I'm currently entering the 2nd year of my postdoc (by choice), and I have had a good experience.
Granted, I've had to provide my own motivation sometimes, but I've been given a high degree of freedom. I sometimes think people don't take enough care in choosing a postdoc. It's similar to choosing an advisor, one mistake could mean a lot of heartache and trouble.