Comments on - Career advice for young scientists and engineers, Part II http://rezaghadiri.net/career-advice-for-young-scientists-and-engineers-part-ii/ The Reza Ghadiri Project Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:01:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Tony http://rezaghadiri.net/career-advice-for-young-scientists-and-engineers-part-ii/#comment-7528 Tony Sun, 26 Jun 2011 04:54:02 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=342#comment-7528 Ironic but true. Hard as it can be to raise so many kids, once they're grown up and settled - and assuming you didn't molest them as children - you will have a tremendous support network. And not just financial, but social as well - you will have somebody who will listen when you yap, and somebody to drive you to the pharmacy so you can buy all 20 drugs that keep you alive. And, considering the dismal outlook for social security, having kids when you're old might be the only meaningful source of support some of us will find in old age. So, go make babies! And don't make them cry too much. You'll need them when you're old. Ironic but true. Hard as it can be to raise so many kids, once they're grown up and settled - and assuming you didn't molest them as children - you will have a tremendous support network. And not just financial, but social as well - you will have somebody who will listen when you yap, and somebody to drive you to the pharmacy so you can buy all 20 drugs that keep you alive.

And, considering the dismal outlook for social security, having kids when you're old might be the only meaningful source of support some of us will find in old age.

So, go make babies! And don't make them cry too much. You'll need them when you're old.

]]> By: Andrei http://rezaghadiri.net/career-advice-for-young-scientists-and-engineers-part-ii/#comment-155 Andrei Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:48:07 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=342#comment-155 Kids vs. parents is an extremely fascinating subject in itself right now. In the United States, you've got the parents, who spent their whole lives in a rat race for the elusive American dream, working their asses off on the job day in and day out, going shopping on the weekends, and having little time for anything else. But then the kids come along and (surprise, surprise) fail to see the point of all that, and <em>don't want</em> that kind of lifestyle. They realize they have to work in order to live, but are not interested in living to work. They (or <em>we</em>, I could say) have been labeled "spoiled", "entitled", "trophy kids" — and Corporate America, for one, <a href="http://sec.online.wsj.com/article/SB122455219391652725.html" rel="nofollow">is pissing its pants already</a>. The world keeps changing, that's for sure. And I'd say that using your brain has become more worthwhile than ever before. None of the previous generations have had this kind of access to information on anything and everything, along with the ability to communicate so easily. That's a pretty big advantage. Kids vs. parents is an extremely fascinating subject in itself right now. In the United States, you've got the parents, who spent their whole lives in a rat race for the elusive American dream, working their asses off on the job day in and day out, going shopping on the weekends, and having little time for anything else. But then the kids come along and (surprise, surprise) fail to see the point of all that, and don't want that kind of lifestyle. They realize they have to work in order to live, but are not interested in living to work. They (or we, I could say) have been labeled "spoiled", "entitled", "trophy kids" — and Corporate America, for one, is pissing its pants already.

The world keeps changing, that's for sure. And I'd say that using your brain has become more worthwhile than ever before. None of the previous generations have had this kind of access to information on anything and everything, along with the ability to communicate so easily. That's a pretty big advantage.

]]> By: evgeniy http://rezaghadiri.net/career-advice-for-young-scientists-and-engineers-part-ii/#comment-151 evgeniy Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:36:10 +0000 http://rezaghadiri.net/?p=342#comment-151 Well, seeing as the Western world appears to be fucked in the entire department of 'children having the same wealth and lifestyle as their parents', I fully expect to be working until the day I die or have a debilitating illness which will cause me to kill myself. True, not always as a chemist. In my 60s and 70s, I see myself as more of a specialty grocery store or cafe owner. On the plus side, technology is advancing pretty rapidly, and the internet together with all the other cool gadgets of the future should make working into your late 70s bearable. Also, if you're smart, you can take advantage of the falling birthrates throughout the entire world (first and third world, but there might not be much of a difference between the two soon) by convincing somebody to have as many children with you as possible now. I suppose 5 will be enough. They'll provide financial support and happiness in the twilight years. And your fellow octogenarians with 1.2 children will be envious. Well, seeing as the Western world appears to be fucked in the entire department of 'children having the same wealth and lifestyle as their parents', I fully expect to be working until the day I die or have a debilitating illness which will cause me to kill myself. True, not always as a chemist. In my 60s and 70s, I see myself as more of a specialty grocery store or cafe owner. On the plus side, technology is advancing pretty rapidly, and the internet together with all the other cool gadgets of the future should make working into your late 70s bearable.

Also, if you're smart, you can take advantage of the falling birthrates throughout the entire world (first and third world, but there might not be much of a difference between the two soon) by convincing somebody to have as many children with you as possible now. I suppose 5 will be enough. They'll provide financial support and happiness in the twilight years. And your fellow octogenarians with 1.2 children will be envious.

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