RE: The Importance of Knowing a Little Bit About Everything
"Knowing a little bit of everything is your only serious advantage in a world with an oversupply of "experts". Ph.D's work in cafeterias and have hard time finding job because really, having one today, doesn't mean shit. "
That hit close to home for me. Only now that I am almost through, I have come to realize how a specialized career in Science basically only transforms you into a worker that is only useful in the context of being a cog in the greater machine that academia is. If you want to go your own way and not just be a freaking underpaid freelancer (because that is what natural science doctors end up being), you really need to be creative and find a way to diversify and exploit your other traits and knowledge that are not heavily restricted to a specific research area.
And just one quick note about the example of Marie Curie and all those scientists of old that were Renaissance men: I think it is a bit unfair to expect from the modern scientist to have a mastery on the understanding and functioning of most current tools, concepts and research behind them, since the amount of information available now is exponentially bigger than it was one or two centuries ago; in other words, there is a lot more to know now than then. I don't think you necessarily have to "know it all", but more like have a good idea of where to look.
Interesting article, as per usual, @kyriacos!
Super impressed with your thoughtful response @irime - now following you! It seems like you have a background in science as well (hence the "culture and science") in your profile. Just curious, in what respect?
Completely agree, I've heard accounts where scientists or university researchers will postulate or publish hypothesis not accepted by the mainstream peers in their field, they've thereafter been unofficially shunned from academia (or their field of science), often lose funding/grants, and find it generally hard to find employment. It's a shame but not sure what can be done about the sad state of affairs..wie schade.
Also, noticed you're in Berlin.. viele grüße aus HH!
True, it is rather harder to have mastery over the new machines but I have seen people in labs "freezing" because the computer stuck and they didn't know how to troubleshoot even after they were instructed several times. Or a centrifuge needing a rubber band replacement and having to wait for another "expert" to do a simple task.
Again, the point is knowing a little bit about everything. You don't have to know how to build the darn centrifuge.
I agree 200%: most of the interesting innovation/research are at the intersection of several fields. You have to be another kind of "Jack of all trades, master of none".
I understand fully the part of being a cog as you described, you have to be tough and to continue to stimulate your understanding, your creativity.