EACH year many of Britain’s best students tuck their PhDs under their belts
and say goodbye to science. Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing
because a higher science degree is a valuable asset for lots of important jobs
outside research. But career choice usually has less to do with salary and much
more to do with job prospects.
I have corresponded with various senior academics about this. They tell me
that graduates know it will be difficult for them to get a job in science with
good prospects even after three or four years as postdocs. Their…
