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Intellectual Freedom (thelemmy.club)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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Image: “The Evolution of Intellectual Freedom” — a comic strip by Jorge Cham (PHD Comics, © 2011) A horizontal timeline with an upward-pointing Y-axis (implying increasing freedom) and a rightward X-axis (implying career progression). Six stages of academic life are illustrated with cartoon figures and speech bubbles, reading left to right: 1. Before Grad School — An enthusiastic young person in a green t-shirt raises one finger triumphantly, declaring: “I’m going to research whatever I want!” 2. Grad Student — A hunched figure sits stressed at a computer, mumbling: “I’m going to research whatever my professor wants!” 3. Assistant Professor — A harried woman in a purple dress rushes past clutching papers, saying: “I’m going to research whatever my tenure committee wants!” 4. Tenured Professor — An older bearded man relaxes comfortably in a large armchair, announcing: “I’m going to research whatever my grant committee wants!” 5. Emeritus Professor — A very elderly hunched figure with a walking stick raises a finger hopefully, beginning: “I’m going to research whatever I-” 6. A gravestone — Inscribed with “RIP” and the epitaph: “Research In Peace” — cutting off the Emeritus Professor mid-sentence. The comic’s dark punchline: intellectual freedom never actually arrives.
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[+] -24 points 3 months ago (12 children)

Interesting to point that the woman never made it to the tenure position...

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  • [–] 32 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    She also skipped grad school and grad student by that logic.

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  • [–] 18 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    And she also never died!

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  • [–] 17 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    Women earn the majority of college degrees at all levels and in all majors.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 months ago (1 child)

    Is that a local or worldwide statistic? I would be surprised to learn this was true in the United States, much less globally. Got a link?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Have you ever once, in your entire life, been to a university campus anywhere? I've observed this with my mk I eyeballs and a functioning brain while attending university.

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  • [–] -4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Alas, I realize my comment was misunderstood... I was merely pointing the choice of the cartoonist

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  • [–] 4 points 3 months ago* (1 child)

    The most interesting thing to me is that everyone took it as

    she couldn't do it because she's a stupid woman

    Hence downvoted to hell

    As opposed to

    she couldn't do it because y'know, patriarchy and all'at.

    Because you can get much angrier at one of those, is my guess, and people love to be angry.

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