How One University Career in Research Science Ended

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, History of Science, Nature of Science

Ed Hessler

 

I've referred you to videos by physicist Sabine Hossenfelder many times so she isn't new to you. This is a much different entry from her and covers many issues of interest on a career in research science at the university level.

In this 13m 40s video titled "I Failed," theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, tells us how her academic career ended. She no longer has a research position at university (see below). During her time in academia she relied on her ability to support her research and herself.

As you know, she is not without work. She has a very successful YouTube channel from which this video comes.    

At the end of her comments she states "I'm not sure if I'm going to post this video. It is a bit over the top isn't it.." 

 

I'm glad she did; I think her experience is worth knowing about. 

 

And as you would expect she makes clear that this is her experience and that she is not speaking for others as she discusses her discontents -personal, with the state of theoretical physics, its funding and life in academia.  

 

As usual, I recommend you read the responses. 

 

ADDITION: Over at Dr. Peter Woit's blog, Not Even Wrong, April 5, 2024, Dr. Hossenfelder responded to Woit's entry titled, "How I fell out of love with academia," for April 5, 2024. She wrote,

"Hi Peter, thanks for the link. Yes, that was the first of those projects, lots of buzzwords about AdS/CFT and quantum simulations and strange metals and so on. Worked like a charm!

"Just one correction. I haven’t left academia, I am affiliated with the University of Munich (the Center for Mathematical Philosophy), it’s just that I’m not employed by them (partly because I don’t live in Munich and have no intention of moving there). I haven’t entirely abandoned the idea to apply for another grant again in the future — mostly because I’d like to have a team to work with — but at the moment I’m rather sick of it."