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/sci/ - Science & Math

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4891996 No.4891996 [Reply] [Original]

Is a PhD in Physics as useless as everybody is telling me? I just finished my B.S and I'm off for graduate studies soon. Should I switch to math?

>> No.4891998

Shamless self-bump.

>> No.4891999

Your mileage may vary. Are you interested in money or contributing to the field?

What sort of undergrad research have you done? What did you do your thesis on?

>> No.4892000

at least three threads
>>4891992
>>4891231
>>4891996

someone feels like they are important, eh?

>> No.4892001

>>4891999
I don't really care about money, I just love science. I did my thesis on quantum fluctuations in the early universe and how the resulting energy changes may have contributed to the big bang.

>> No.4892003

>>4892000
>Implying I didn't just get here

>> No.4892005

>useless

I'd say a bachelors is useless, if you want a job doing the stuff you've learned you meed at least a Masters.

>> No.4892006

>>4892001
So I'm assuming you're interested in GTR research?

That's a pretty promising field, I'm positive you could find an advisor. But I'm not positive you will get a postdoc unless you teach. There's tons of cuts on research positions.

If you go into condensed matter, you will pretty much be guaranteed something after a PhD

>> No.4892011

You don't pursue a Phd for utility. Get a masters instead.

Phd is something you do if you are passionate about a subject simply for itself--the money is a side-effect, you probably won't be making much anyway for the amount of work you put in.

>> No.4892013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfxfnokQuLM

>> No.4892038

>>4891996
My mathfag opinion is that the among of kit you need to do your research is inversely related to the amount of money you can make.

Lots of kit:
-Best case you are in a suburban research park owned by a multinational company. Due to the hardware require, few companies engage in your research and your bald, overweight, alimony-paying boss can't afford to quit. He is bitter. You can't afford to quit either. You have a bitter boss with no potential for advancement.
-Worst case your research is novel but useless and you need a tenure track position to buy food.

Minimal kit:
-Best case you create technology and are in a position to own patents
-Worst case you theorize abstract nonsense and someone hires you to do bullshit consulting in a non-physics commercial area

>> No.4892050

As a mathfag I can assure you that PhD in physics is anything but useless. I actually kinda envy you, because with a PhD in physics you'll have a much easier time in the financial industry than me with a PhD in math. Go for it!

>> No.4892054

>>4892011
this.
A Phd is not worth it in monetary sense. Like at all. Even a masters is barely worth it. Unless, of course, we are talking about an MBA or a Phd in Business.

>> No.4892060

>>4892050
eh, the whole "physic Phd" in finance is sort of dying out now that top finance Phds are just at good, if not better, at mathematical statistics.

>> No.4892073

>>4892054
This is a generally correct sentiment, but you are being too narrow. Ohio State University (a second tier statistics program) offers statistical consulting services. They bill professors out at $200 per hour - $300 per hour if they are giving sworn testimony. Grad students are billed at $100 per hour. If you can crack data or write truly novel code you can make serious money.

Furthermore most PhD research in "business" is bullshit. Look at SSRN. Many papers are trivial bullshit that is not interesting or practical to implement for a company. The research is a product of fat MBA tuition payments. Those plentiful payments cover tenure track positions, who pump out shit to justify their existence. MBA are grossly overvalued and business school are thusly bloated.

>> No.4892078

>>4892060
lolololol no...

>> No.4892086

>>4892060
I'd be wary of this advice. The quant bubble is bursting not because of the educational landscape but because of changes in industry and the broader economy. The math is pretty simple. I was auditing at Columbia and wasn't asked to prove a theorem all semester.