Sure, it's only an advertisement, but when 'bounty hunter' makes the list before 'research scientist' (except with regard to forensics, likely due to cable tv), it seems to me science can use a bit of a PR boost, no?
Then there's also this annoying animated ad rotating in play on our right sidebar. Folks, we have no control over these and I hope Seed takes it down immediately. I'm not buying Reebok.
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"Research Scientist" is really a nebulous term. I'm a research scientist and if I told you that I was one, most people (perhaps even you) would probably assume I worked on something medical. They'd be wrong though, I work in agriculture. At any rate, all is not lost I see Engineer was towards the top (#3 in the 2nd row), but even that is a bit vague ... Agricultural, Chemical, Mechanical, Physical? There are lots of engineering fields. I wouldn't give this silly ad any sort of weight.
If we really want to give science a PR boost, we need to let people know that blowhards like PZ Myers don't speak for the entirety of science.
I hate the Reebok ad, too, and have complained to the Powers That Be.
PZ doesn't speak for any scientist I know.
And no Reebok for me!
Be fair. Bounty hunters meet a lot of interesting people. Good travel opportunities, too.
Somebody has claimed that I speak for the entirety of science? Weird. Since I've only ever claimed to speak for me, you'd really have to be stupid to make that argument.
But anyway, I think these ads are awful. You are now permitted to disagree.
PZ, I see that at least one of your stooges alerted you to my comments. I also see you've adopted the Charles "I am not a role model" Barkley line of defense. Bravo.
I recall seeing this article on worst pay for the investment way back when, and guess what's on the list? Academic research scientist. 6-7 years of grad school plus 3-4 as a postdoc to make what exactly? That's the problem with people wanting to be a "research scientist." Never mind the fact that getting such a job is hard anyway (even after all the time in school). All together, I can see why someone might prefer bounty hunter....
I have an idea. Elect a scientist to Congress. We replaced Richard Pombo with a PhD in Applied Math... Well, maybe not a research scientist but he does understand.
It is a scenario that needs to be replicated. Then maybe we won't need a Congressional Office of Technical Evaluation to explain all this stuff to be bunch of ex-lawyers and / or investment bankers (e.g. Ellen Tauscher - CA 10th Dist)
Two things:
1. Went to Degrees.info and after a cursory glance it looks like it's a portal to a number of online college degree programs. Makes sense that "research scientist" wouldn't be on the list because it's kind of hard to undertake labs online. Though, not sure what that says for the "forensic scientist" programs at those online schools.
2. There are already scientists in Congress: 1) Vern Ehlers (R-MI), Ph.D. in Physics; 2) Rush Holt (D-NJ), Ph.D. in Physics; 3)Nancy Boyda (D-KS), Analytical Chemist; 4)Bill Foster (D-IL), Ph.D. in Physics. It'd be nice to have a gene jockey and some other biologists in Congress though.
Seed has--or will--pull the Reebok ad :)
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Hmmm. Think I would go with that SWAT option instead. No tedious tracking and hunting, all the high-powered assualt weapons you could wet-dream of, and the power of the law to back you up..!!
Did not these ads use to be on matchbook covers..?? Ahh, the inexorable march of civilization...
...tom...
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