It's Time to Burst the Academic Bubble | Mariana Cerdeira | TEDxHUBerlin

In her talk, Mariana unveils what goes on behind the scenes of scientific research and addresses the need for a culture change in the academic world This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@thomaskotch4770]

PhD in chemistry, two post-docs, assistant prof, no tenure. Now I teach high school. I make a great living, I love my students and I can still adjunct at night. There's no way I'd try "higher ed" again.

[@AdrienLegendre]

There should be 2 PhD tracts: academic PhD tract to become university/research center researcher or applied PhD tract to apply research knowledge in industry. The problem occurs for PhDs in subject areas with the only alternative is high school teacher.

[@samhughes1140]

And most states don't even have programs that would help PhDs in a subject area transition into being a high school teacher, often requiring several extra years of training, despite already having plenty of experience teaching.

[@flaguser4196]

stay long in academia enough and you won't be doing science anymore

[@limo-swine6537]

I just did my MS Thesis project in a toxic lab and I already don't want to do science anymore. All plans for PhD cancel.

[@zakyjaafar3946]

Now with all the ranking rage, academia is just a paper churning factory, scholars being menial labor striving to meet the numbers.

[@thatsacademic-withstephent2204]

Some very true statements in this speech! What is interesting is that the quality of junior academic hires is now becoming so high that the talent hierarchy in faculties is increasingly inverted. Is academia unique in this regard? I'm not sure.

[@trying3841]

Academia is the biggest scam. You can write a peer review paper on anything. You spend $100k to make $30k a year. A true scam

[@leebannister3759]

OMG, I could take this video and scale it to high school and what counselors and telling students they must go to post-secondary.

[@betopimentel8178]

Delightful talk, Mari!

[@sahilgupta3564]

Very motivational speech. Thanks for uploading this.

[@user-ks8ux4ig6b]

As someone in academia I don't remember students being judged for going into the private sector. Saying that we call students greedy traitors is drama.

[@thomaskotch4770]

I respectfully disagree. My PhD advisor stopped contact with me when I left an academic position.

[@smmr5813]

excellent speech, very informative, very eye-opening. than you!

[@VirandoGringa]

Adorei! Acabei de ver sua entrevista no Doutorando numa fria e gostei muito desse TED Talk. Eu fui até o mestrado, mas desisti da academia porque também não queria ser professora e pesquisadora. Hoje tenho vontade de retornar para seguir todos esses caminhos q mencionou como empreender, ou escrever sobre ciência. Comunicação científica é uma necessidade hoje em dia e ainda bem que temos gente que quer fazer isso!

[@daehyeonkim1224]

Thank you. Spot on.

[@PZJBimha]

Good advice. I like the suggestions.

[@aniksamiurrahman6365]

This was b4 COVID. I wonder what's the situation now.

[@chung-holin3554]

Spot on!!

[@MuslimEng765]

I was afraid of PHD, Madam. Thank you

[@5kamon]

When we had an alternative career seminar (at a physical chemistry institute) they set wife of one of the directors to talk about her maternity products business. The dude himself is supposed to be the career advisor? What a joke. People leave for industrial data analysis/management, consulting or funding agencies jobs. Sometimes they still get to do research and development for industry.

[@marianavaz9074]

Mari! Também sou uma ovelhinha negra. Gostei muito do seu vídeo! Parabéns pelo trabalho!

[@annaturquoise7114]

Yes

[@facfortiaetpatere4287]

Brilliant talk Mariana ! Academia resembles a cult

[@siddarth2599]

Oh my God, that's exactly what I say to myself about academia. It's possibly the largest cult but without a leader

[@robertmazurowski5974]

Academic carreer is for people from Rich families, It always has been this way. You got to academia not to make money. There are not many scientists needed. Most smart people should work in industry. Unfortunately there is a big probability you will never discover anything usefull, hence money going towards academia is not big like industry. If your from poor or middle class you go to university to get a good job and build wealth becasue if you go to academia with poor background then your research is depended on conformism, beuracracy, and you will be used by the beurocratic/career academics for their own goals.

[@AdrienLegendre]

Completely wrong.

[@soccersprint]

Good talk

[@gemmymartin]

♥️

[@markopinteric]

I was doing PhD around 2000 and it was considered pretty normal for PhD candidates not to aim at academia careers.

[@Buckoux]

She is doing what most academics are guilty of; all answers are dissertations. Ask an academic 'what time is it?' and they will expound on how to make a watch even though they have never made a watch. Having only a Bachelors of Science in Aerospace Engineering I don't have to worry about convincing the universe about my bullxhit.

[@lamarozzo]

The whole premise is wrong: academics don't complain if PhDs go to Industry, and for sure they don't call former students traitors or greedy.

[@nononouh]

8

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Jordan Peterson and Sal Khan are inside those bubbles

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Brazilians are beautiful

[@nairamartirosyan798]

Millennials didn't experience recession or war is a joke. 2008 was huge economic crisis that we still feel to this day. Majority of us were not even entering a work force. A lot of people, who are not from privileged western countries, experienced war. So, no, our life's were not easier that our parents. It's just a delusion that our parents wanted us to believe

[@vins1979]

A bit overinflated talk, really. No one complains if every single PhD student ends up in the private sector, and no one discourage them to do so. Actually, many professors discourage their students to pursue the academic career, because it is very competitive and the academic market is already saturated, so it is not even rational to try to enter and to stay in it: the odds are just too little. No one thinks that scientists in the private sector are "failed scientists". And actually nowadays many universities are actually collaborating with the private industry and start ups in "innovative projects" and as part of "engaging with public and private stakeholders". Finally, apart from the labs, the universities also have designated office helping students to understand what their "transferrable skills" are and transition to the private sector. This Ted Talk is no based on facts, I'm sorry, but on personal experiences and perceptions. It is very unscientific.

[@oaanouar]

See it from.the perspective of the student and suddenly this talk is highly adding value

[@vins1979]

@@oaanouar I've been a PhD student myself and I find little value in this talk.

[@oaanouar]

Statistically ...you prove nothing :)

[@vins1979]

@@oaanouar just like the person who delivers this talk, isn't it?

[@michaelcap9550]

Avoid academia. To the Trades!

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Be a biology writer

[@alfredhitchcock45]

Common sense what would you do with biology