Why there's a Scientist Shortage: Last Part

If you think the scientist shortage is merely a topic of conversation, think again.

American high-tech companies, for one, are hollering about the need for more scientists. In the last month Google, National Semiconductor, the American Electronic Assocaition and other companies complained to the U.S. government they are not able to recruit enough American kids as scientists and want to be able to get more foreign scientists into the U.S.   Congress said no. *story by Robert Pear in June 24 New York Times.

If you look at the 20,000 foreign skilled workers given H-1B visas to work in the U.S., I am sure you will find that the vast majority of them are male.  And if you look at the eastern European countries, China, and other places where Americans are hollering about them producing so many more scientists than us, you again will find the majority of them are male.  Not all. Statistics indicate that women are 20% of typically male occupations, including  China born Ching who babysat for our son when she was getting an advanced science degree.

To find why millions of smart boys are missing from college in the UK, US and other post industrialized countries, as well as the simple no-cost answer to getting them degrees, see our work at SmartBoysBadGrades.com

Bottom line: as long as our schools and colleges deny a college degree to every qualified student (2 million smart boys a year in U.S; est 50,000 or more in the UK) we're going to have a scientist shortage. 

Comments

[David Eaton]

Moving to 'import' scientists will keep the wages of scientists low enough that natives will be discouraged from making the sacrifices needed to become a scientist. I am a PhD chemist, and I am paid far less than professionals with MBAs, JDs, and MDs.

The point is that people with the noodle to be a scientist have other equally or more attractive options. Being a scientist is a very good profession. I love it, but I recognize that I paid a dear opportunity cost to get here. I have friends who have left bench science to become intellectual property attorneys, and a few who have returned to medical school.

Gender and racial issues no doubt play parts in the internal politics of the academic machine that cranks out PhDs. But there are brutal economic facts that get ignored: if something is scarce, the price will rise, and, if it isn't some unrenewable resource, it will get produced. If the government, academia and industry would allow science wages to rise, much of the scientist shortage would disappear. I am not taking issue with your points, per se, though. I just think that the economics are ignored.

I found the following economic analysis by Eric Weinstein helpful:
http://www.nber.org/~peat/PapersFolder/Papers/SG/NSF.html

All that said, I do agree with what you have said elsewhere- I was a smart boy with awful grades. Luckily, I didn't give up or fall through the cracks. I think your efforts in pointing out this problem are important and laudable.