What does a PhD mean? - eviltoast
  • LittleWizard@feddit.de
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    87
    arrow-down
    27
    ·
    1 year ago

    A PhD is not the only way to expand human knowledge. This is disregarding a lot of work done by a lot of hard working people.

    • Daxtron2@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      77
      ·
      1 year ago

      No one says it was the only way? But one of the requirements of getting that PhD is to expand knowledge so it’s 100% applicable

    • ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      You might be surprised to learn it doesn’t actually suggest a PhD is the only way to expand human knowledge. No one was disregarded.

    • ShustOne@lemmy.one
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      1 year ago

      I don’t think it’s meant to do that. Also if we substitute PhD for learning both will be true.

    • Pulptastic@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      1 year ago

      Presumably you could meet the boundary with “a dollah fifty in late fees at the public library” and find a way to push through from there. You’d have to find a way to publish or share your new knowledge. Studying at uni gives you access to experts in their own thing that likely have knowledge that could help you with your thing as well as a system designed to churn out these papers when you eventually find your thing.

      Every day people discover new things but it takes attention, effort, and will to PROVE it’s a new thing and more yet to share that with the world. Too bad you can’t get an honorary PhD for doing that, at least not reliably.

    • dreamer@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Good luck expanding the fields of math and science without a PhD.

    • Patches@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      16
      ·
      1 year ago

      Yes but how will I feel good that I spent 140k on a piece of paper if I don’t brag about it?

      • DrDr@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        I’ve been making six figures while getting my PhD. There are plenty of opportunities to get your PhD funded if you are a US citizen. There are plenty more valid places to poke fun at pursuing a PhD but it is very common to have funding and thus no debt.