[LightskinKanye]

They have billions but aren't sponsoring scholarships for graduate physics degrees like Boeing or any "corporate" company does.

If they want to see their 10xs breakthroughs (which they sure talk a lot about) they should be throwing money at condensed matter physics research and just support in general for physics. Its easy to get a 10x in software but energy is a whole different game.

That way the smartest people won't have to decide between taking a high paying engineering/programming job or going into physics.

It all comes down to probabilities and the amount of people in the field is really the best approach towards making a breakthrough.

[kumarski]

high paying code writing or going into physics/engineering.

Engineering is much different than software architecture.

One requires hard sciences competency, whereas one you can go into for years with none, and be successful.

[LightskinKanye]

But when the smartest undergrads are looking at potential career choices they see engineering and CS as means to a good life.

Without the support and money from companies who care, many will choose the highest paying option

[walshemj]

I think you will find that doing what google does at scale does require some "hard science" :-)

[kumarski]

Exceptional case. Most don't.