Is a PhD Just Small Goals or a Path to Breakthroughs?

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The discussion emphasizes the importance of setting small, achievable goals during a PhD journey, questioning whether these incremental contributions are sufficient for one's career aspirations. It contrasts the idea of making minor advancements in knowledge, likened to creating small dents in a vast circle, with the desire to make significant breakthroughs akin to those achieved by historical figures like Einstein. The conversation acknowledges that while a PhD may not be the stage for revolutionary ideas in fields like physics, the potential for impactful contributions may arise later in one's career. The role of funding organizations such as NSF and NIH in supporting these academic pursuits is also highlighted, suggesting a critical view of their influence on research direction.
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Talk about setting small goals, is that what you want your career to be? A tiny bump on the surface of the circle of knowledge? If that suits your fancy, go right ahead, but what I want to do is accumulate a bunch of these tiny dents (funded by naive organizations such as NSF and NIH) and burst the bubble like Einstein did!
 
DiracPool said:
Talk about setting small goals, is that what you want your career to be? A tiny bump on the surface of the circle of knowledge? If that suits your fancy, go right ahead, but what I want to do is accumulate a bunch of these tiny dents (funded by naive organizations such as NSF and NIH) and burst the bubble like Einstein did!

The post is about a PhD, not the entire career. I really doubt somebody is able to revolutionize physics in a PhD dissertation. The low hanging fruit is simply not there anymore. Later in your career, it might be possible though.
 
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