Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!varol From: varol@cwi.nl (Varol Akman) Newsgroups: comp.edu Subject: Re: U.S. Mathematicians dying breed Message-ID: <147@piring.cwi.nl> Date: 15 Dec 87 16:03:38 GMT References: <1878@pdn.UUCP> <2424@killer.UUCP> Organization: CWI, Amsterdam Lines: 41 Summary: Degrees aren't that important In article <2424@killer.UUCP> elg@killer.UUCP (Eric Green) writes: > >Have you looked at the reports on production of CS majors lately? I don't >recall the exact numbers (which I saw in an issue of IEEE Computer while >searching for the article on the AMD29000), but they were quite disappointing >for the MS and, especially, the PhD level. Apparently all us folks get a BS >and then ride out upon the winds to gain our fame and fortune :-). Maybe some >of these underpaid underemployed BS's will come back for an advanced degree, >but it looks pretty doubtful right now. For one thing, someone capable of >gaining a MS or PhD isn't very likely to be either underpaid or >underemployed. > I've come to believe that degrees aren't that important. True, a PhD has more research potential than an BSc but then again this is more or less a rule of thumb. A lot researchers without advanced degrees come up with important, even revolutionary, results. I explain their success with an appeal to their intelligence, hard work, experience, etc. For example, various advanced products are created in companies which employ many more BSc's than PhDs. Although it is true that research divisions of these companies have many PhDs, it is probably not true to assert that these solely are the people who do the major inventions or innovations. I believe that one cannot expect to have a huge number of PhD's without really proving that they are the ones (and the only ones) who are creating our ``knowledge.'' Even if this turns out to be the case, so what? Should all industrialists be as successful as Ford? Should all physicists be as good as Weinberg? The examples can be multiplied. Basically, I'm trying to say that a lot of useful work can be done without being perfect. One last thing ... A capitalist society is based on the great law of economic supply & demand. When there is enough demand, there'll be a lot of people who would like to study for an advanced degree. Demand in the sense that the employers will be willing to give e.g. a lot of money, respect, responsibility, what have you. Until then only people who are really motivated, idealistic, etc. will go for an advanced degree but I don't see anything wrong with that. -Varol Akman CWI, Amsterdam