How to build a better PhD

Re:How to build a better PhD by jbob2000 on Monday December 14, 2015 @04:05PM (#10733864)

This is a completely layman's analysis, but I think that science funding has gone down because we are less and less able to understand what it is that is being studied and how it can benefit humanity. Go back 40 or 50 years and the things scientists were discovering were tangible and real. They produced things that people could touch, consume, and understand.

The biggest science project we have going, the LHC, is impossible for the lay man to understand. "A big circle which smashes tiny things together? You're just watching it? I don't get it!". Compare that to the discovery of penicillin; "You're growing fungus under your fridge and it's going to cure my sick child? Take all my money!".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How to build a better PhD by c06n on Monday December 14, 2015 @04:22PM (#10733976)

I agree.

I work at a large national research institute, 50 % of our budget is financed through grants. Just last week we were told by my institute's director (and I'm rephrasing only slightly): "If you really want to help our finances, do something that makes it into the evening news. Then it's easy for politicians to send money our way, they love to finance things that appear on the evening news. Because that is their currency for the next election. But if we don't succeed at it, it will be even harder in the future."

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How to build a better PhD by dhruvsuyam on Monday December 14, 2015 @04:10PM (#10733890)

That is because this generation has lot of diversions. Focus is the key for research.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:How to build a better PhD by jbob2000 on Monday December 14, 2015 @04:15PM (#10733923)

Focus is easy when there's a strong value proposition. We got nuclear done very quickly because the value was near infinity. The science being done today seems to have weak value.

[ Parent | on HN ]