[timrpeterson]

Yes. Cmon man. You're being overly literal. I'm just starting as a professor in biomedical sciences, where you probably know the terribleness reaches its peak. I'm also nearing 40 so the duration of "training" required is also a total bullahit factor especially in my area.

The general point is true: the financial incentives in academia are blatantly terrible. The quality of what's produced isn't much better. So this whole thing about universities being all about their research missions? Sadly for all those hundreds of billions the hedge funds are generating, produces a depressingly small output.

[adminprof]

Okay, fair enough. Sorry for being a bit antagonistic. I guess I'm just a lot less pessimistic about academia, having worked in industry before as well. The financial part isn't as good as it could be for what we think we do, but I feel that it's a nice institution in many ways. A lot of lifetime academics don't appreciate the flexibility they get in terms of what they spend their time on, how they do their work, who they work with, etc.

[timrpeterson]

Thanks for saying this. I agree the flexibility is huge. Pay for freedom! (Or rather don't get paid, :)