Alternately, consider the 1970's US oversupply of physics phds, with associated "near collapse" of graduate programs. With a risk and pay gap - "Q: How can I talk with a physics PhD? A: Hail a cab."
Programs and market restructured, with more flow into industry. But retargetability of science PhDs to match market need remains a challenge. And today, science programs depend on tech absorbing lots of graduates. With acceptable career opportunity cost, both absolute and relative to other education paths. So what happens if/when tech no longer provides that opportunity? No longer mitigates oversupply back-pressure? Especially with teaching career paths collapsing.
The 1970's oversupply shakeup did some good. Perhaps another might too - perhaps science education might finally get the intensive focus needed to become less of a disaster. But...
> some careers have become exponentially more lucrative, with much less risk, than other careers, even though they require and use the same skill set.
Absent which, studying the sciences might become far less viable, rather than more. Tech is currently allowing society to avoid a great deal of "have a degree, can't find work" difficulty.
Programs and market restructured, with more flow into industry. But retargetability of science PhDs to match market need remains a challenge. And today, science programs depend on tech absorbing lots of graduates. With acceptable career opportunity cost, both absolute and relative to other education paths. So what happens if/when tech no longer provides that opportunity? No longer mitigates oversupply back-pressure? Especially with teaching career paths collapsing.
The 1970's oversupply shakeup did some good. Perhaps another might too - perhaps science education might finally get the intensive focus needed to become less of a disaster. But...
> some careers have become exponentially more lucrative, with much less risk, than other careers, even though they require and use the same skill set.
Absent which, studying the sciences might become far less viable, rather than more. Tech is currently allowing society to avoid a great deal of "have a degree, can't find work" difficulty.