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> but there is a big defense industry here (Saab, SRC, Lockheed, AFRL)

i hope things don't get so bad that my options are destitution or the defense industry, but i'm used to eating ramen.

Lockheed can be an excellent place to work. While I’m not particularly fond of building war machines either, I had the opportunity to work on Space Situational Awareness. My role involved developing software to track the movements of space debris and alert operators to potential collisions. This project has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my entire career.

There are also quite a number of medical device and pharmaceutical companies on the east coast (based in upstate NY here), along with defense industry contractors. So, there are some more options.

medical devices i am slightly more sympathetic to, as a user of a DMD. pharmaceutical companies, only slightly higher than "defense" companies. they exist in practice so that few may benefit from the misery of many.

IME, medical device work is nice: they need high quality and they are willing and able to pay for it.

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