[romwell]

>instead of aspiring to get a PhD to earn a mediocre salary(in comparison) at FANNG

As a PhD at FAANG[1], I mourn that the default aspiration for getting a PhD isn't staying in academia and advancing science.

And if you call FAANG salaries mediocre, I don't even know what you'd call academia salaries :(

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[1] Formerly. Left for greener and less soul-draining pastures.

[jsjohnst]

> And if you call FAANG salaries mediocre (in comparison)

The wording of the sentence wasn't ideal, but GP was implying you could potentially make a lot more as a private tutor than you would at a FAANG. I'd argue that is a bit of rose colored glasses as there are far more making 200k a year at a FAANG than there are million dollar a year making private tutors.

[TheTrotters]

> I mourn that the default aspiration for getting a PhD isn't staying in academia and advancing science.

It almost certainly is for the vast majority of grad students. There are just way more newly-minted PhDs than tenure-track jobs, especially if you add some (reasonable) constraints like location, R1 university etc.

[pyuser583]

Isn’t there already overproduction of PhDs?

[queuebert]

Given that we still don't have a Mars base, haven't solved the climate problem, and aren't living sustainably on the planet, I would say no.

[pyuser583]

Is that because of a shortage of PhDs? Isn’t there a significant surplus of aeronautical engineers?

I personally know several aeronautical engineers (with doctorates) struggling to find work in their industry.

I know two folks with BAs in Environmental Science working as Product Managers (unrelated to environment sustainability).

Having goals we have yet to achieve doesn’t show a lack of specialists.

If anything the gap is in lower-level education.

Are our high schools emphasizing the urgency of the climate crisis? Are they emphasizing the need to live sustainably? Are they encouraging space exploration?

[queuebert]

Those are all factors. As a species, we need more scientific output and less sales and marketing.

[watwut]

The science is pyramid currently - existing PhD cant find post docs in science.

And even if they did, the mars is not currently goal of those who provide funding. Nor should it be, honestly.

[romwell]

Define "overproduction".