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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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[–] -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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