[angersock]

It's important to note that the sort of stuff YC Research is doing--and this is doubtless an unpopular opinion--is basically social whimsy by the investing class. It's perhaps interesting work, but it hinges on having somebody with deep pockets and a willingness to ignore good sense^W^W traditional wisdom.

If you are actually serious about doing this sort of thing, don't go to school for economics. Do civil engineering with a focus on urban planning, or study public health policy, or something similer.

Long after the bubble pops and the money dries up for this sort of humblebrag philanthropic advertising, the cities of the world will still need people to plan roads, organize public transportation, and suggest policies to help cities grow.

[argonaut]

If you think about it, YC Research is how academic research used to be funded centuries ago - patronage by wealthy elites.

[angersock]

Quite right!

That being the case, let's dispense with the pretense and just recognize the community for what it is: courtisanship and begging for patrons.

[argonaut]

I mean, I don't see it quite so negatively. It's good to have a diverse mix of funding sources: academia, government grants, industry research, and private research (non-industry oriented) like YCR.

[webmaven]

Meh. Not so much. Too many Bigelows these days:

http://theawl.com/the-strange-history-of-robert-bigelow-who-...