[plinkplonk]

". Phds are really good if: - you're young, have found a subject you're fascinated with and are willing to live and breathe every day"

That is exactly true for me, except obviously the "young" part :-). (But hey i feel young!)

I want to do a PhD for the experience of doing/learning to do research with top notch people and (corny as it sounds) advancing the frontiers of human knowledge. I don't really care about becoming a prof.

As for "productive", I've made enough money for me to live on comfortably, if not extravagantly , for the next twenty years. (India is a relatively cheap place to live if you have your own house and a good chunk of money saved). I am single and plan to stay that way so that obviously helps.

Research is just something I want to do (very well) before I die.