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by ISL
2180 days ago
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There's a substantial correlation between the behavior of academia and that of a cult. In my field of fundamental physics, we are so specialized that when people leave, they essentially never return. If conditions were to change in such a way as to make it possible for people to flow back and forth between serious research and the real world, the culture would normalize. The reason that doesn't happen, though, is that academia is a lot like professional athletics. Whether most of the participants know it or not, they're doing it for some combination of love-of-the-field and a lottery ticket. We're all willing to tolerate sub-standard working conditions precisely because we absolutely love our field and are willing to do almost anything to stay in. I've left lots of money on the table in order to remain in physics as long as I have because the work is, when it is good, so very fulfilling. Unfortunately, I'm about to leave because some of the structure, built for good-hearted reasons but presently suffering colliding dependencies, now substantially impedes my colleagues and me from getting good science done. I know that when I leave, I essentially cannot come back. There will be another younger, smarter ISL waiting to fill my position the moment I'm gone. |
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