Don't Become a Scientist!

Here is a same titled article at http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html, by Jonathan Katz, Professor of Physics at Washington University, complaining how the scientist career away from the ideals and how difficult for young scientists to have decent life. I like this statement:

“Science is a profession, not a religious vocation, and does not justify an oath of poverty or celibacy.”

Whenever I met students who want to have a ph.d., I would ask them, do you really want it if I tell you the truth? Many students tell me that a scientist can be free to think anything and achieve what they think so that is the ideal life for them. But the truth is this career has too much harshness to be free. My Friend Daniel, a pessimist, has many posters recently about it. I agree with him on this issue though.