Anger grows as 1,000 engineering and physical sciences PhDs slashed

timeshighereducation.co.uk

10 points·bootload··6 comments

When I'm not hearing about how PhDs are a racket or a ponzi scheme, I'm hearing about how if we don't have more of them the world will come to an end. I realize that this article is about the UK, but these actions would cause the same reaction in the US. I guess the lesson is: when a special interest loses funding, they are going to claim that it will destroy society.

Expect more of it. The days of government-funded gravy trains are coming to an end, world-wide.

I think that may be the first time I've heard Science and Engineering referred to as special interests. Given the key role they play in pretty much everything we take for granted in a modern technological society, I would describe funding Science and Engineering to be more in the general interest, no?

And everyone looking for money from the government makes the same argument about their own field being in the "general interest".

"Science and Engineering" isn't looking for funding, it's a specific group (universities) looking for funding from the government, so it's a special interest.

The two are not mutually exclusive. We do need more PhDs, and it is, in fact, not a wise economic choice for a person to pursue one.

Wait, really? "Anger"?

I mean, "disappointment" maybe. Or "annoyance". Or "wistful regret" -- all reasonable reactions to the real loss you suffer when someone else decides not to pay for your education.

"Sadness", perhaps, if you believe society is worse off for not having more PhDs int he world, I'd buy, too.

But "anger"? How entitled do you have to feel to be "angry" at not getting a free ride?

Just askin'...

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