Tuesday, June 24
Daily News Stuff 24 June 2025
Ottoman Edition
Ottoman Edition
Top Story
- How many PhDs does the world need? (Nature) (archive site)
Or more precisely, how many academic PhD students does each existing academic PhD need to train in order to meet demand?
The answer is, more or less, one.
If you're working on a PhD, time to find a job. Like, now. It's only going to get worse.
Tech News
- Compared with TSMC's 2nm process, Intel's upcoming 18A - 1.8nm - process is up to 25% faster and uses 36% less power than Intel's existing 3nm process. (Tom's Hardware)
Yeah, the article doesn't actually compare anything against TSMC, only Intel's 1.8nm against Intel's 3nm and older processes.
- The judge presiding over the New York Times vs. OpenAI lawsuit rejects claims that she created a mass surveillance nightmare after she created a mass surveillance nightmare. (Ars Technica)
OpenAI has been forbidden from deleting anything.
Including data completely unrelated to the case that customers have requested be deleted.
- Apple keeps taking down its own ads. (The Verge)
This started a year ago, when it was pointed out that Apple's "Crush" ad for the iPad displayed a positive and inspiring image - when you played in in reverse.
The multi-trillion-dollar company followed up for an ad libelling Thailand, and one highlighting features of voice app Siri that don't actually exist.
The latest ad merely seems guilty of being bad.
Maybe their PC went bleep-bleep-bleep-bleep and devoured it.
- Hinge CEO Justin McCleod says dating AI chatbots is "playing with fire". (The Verge)
Next they'll be saying I can't have tea parties with my stuffed animals.
Musical Interlude
Disclaimer: Never mind my imaginary friend, Fred.
Posted by: Pixy Misa at
06:25 PM
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PhD programs have been pyramid schemes for generations. There have too many degrees granted for a very long time. (I'm just glad I figured that out before I got mine, and I'm older than dirt.)
Posted by: Zendo Deb at Wednesday, June 25 2025 03:46 PM (sEYxj)
2
Pyramid scam/maybe there are questions about the whole federalized portion of the engineering establishment. but, there are basic questions about whether we really need all of the current academic fields. Before we consider every wrinkle of replication issues. We either have too many PhDs in general (enough of them to sustain cults that aggro too many people for them to win against in a physical fight) or not enough (they would have more fighting power as a fraction of population, if they made up more of the population)(1). (1) (But then they might have worse splits of factions, and frankly the economy might not be able to have enough positions appropriate to their skill level (2) ) (2) (We don't need very many baristas or PhD grade engineers.)
Posted by: PatBuckman at Wednesday, June 25 2025 11:38 PM (rcPLc)
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