It's interesting that this piece stands well enough if you replace mathematics with probably any other intellectual profession, including software development or pretty much anything else.
And, I lie to anyone who asks me why I’m a mathematician.
It is much easier to claim “I love learning the laws of life,”
while literally handwaving, than it is for me to flashback to
the twenty or so pivotal moments that lead to me walking out
of Gainesville with a PhD in Arithmetic Geometry.
Mathematics is the thing you try to understand, don’t,
get frustrated about, and then do.
> And, I lie to anyone who asks me why I’m a mathematician.
I prefer to say "I liked a girl" (because it's the truth)
My go-to is “It’s the only thing I was good at in school, I was hopeless at everything else,” which is only a slight exaggeration.
A PhD in Arithmetic Geometry and a publication in a top tier journal is hardly mediocre in and of itself, as far the author is concerned. The equivalent for a software engineer is probably a leading AI engineer, with a strong publication count. I think a lot of people who are not mediocre are unaware of what mediocrity actually is. Yeah if you're only in the top .1% and comparing yourself to the literal best in the world, you will feel mediocre in that sense . A mid mathematician maybe publication in worse journals, teaching community college.
> A PhD in Arithmetic Geometry and a publication in a top tier journal is hardly mediocre in and of itself, as far the author is concerned.
It kinda is (sadly) because unlike engineering there aren't thousands of postdoc jobs in arithmetic geometry.
And ofc in a year because of AI all math PhDs will be mediocre by definition.
As a professional mathematician, if you’re not advancing your subfield of research consistently you are mediocre.
If you say so.
Saying most tenured faculty at research 1 institutions are mediocre seems to be stretching the definition, though.
Who’s saying that?
It's still impressive, but it's not enough.
> “what do you like about your job?”
For software development, normal people will just assume it's money and probably not even ask...
They would not even be wrong.
Yeah seems like most programmers just do it for the money. I imagine only like 20% of us do it just because we enjoy it.
I feel like the number is higher for software work where I'm at, and lower for every other profession. Scary when you think that your doctor is in it for the money
You can be a software developer without any formal training and without any licensure. Not so for an MD.
It's going to attract more people who have the mentality of artists or musicians, i.e. people who do it for the love of the craft and as a creative outlet.
> You can be a software developer without ... any licensure.
Don't jinx it. We are extremely lucky in this regard, and it actually looks like a rare exception.
hopefully the MD that passes all the tests is still worth his salt even if he only chose the profession for the paycheck.
but as one of the nearby professors is famous for saying: "C students gotta go somewhere."
( and since this is HN - he didn't mean the programming language :D )
idk, a lot of American doctors I've met seemed to be in it because they like school and stability. Though perhaps a similar scary.
There are plenty of easier ways to make money than becoming a doctor.
They tend to be higher risk though. If you've got the capacity for memorizing all the stuff you need to become a doctor, there's not much risk involved in attaining your doctor salary.
I'd just say there are scores of people who like programing. But that's about it.
True. I like math and CS theory, but despise coding (pays well though). AI is finally taking over this soul-sucking occupation and all I can say - good riddance.
It's an awesome profession for those of us who love it.
Tbf coding with ai is still super fun though. I am hoping that engs who hate it like you will finally get kicked out as productivity increases from ai and it will finally go back to just us nerds.
It's kinda soul-sucking being around all you guys that just hate this work, please get out and go do farming or something lol.
> It's an awesome profession for those of us who love it.
Yes, by definition of "love" and "awesome".
> Tbf coding with ai is still super fun though.
Agree, it could be entertaining.
> I am hoping that engs who hate it like you will finally get kicked out
Ain't gonna happen, as I am pretty good at it.
> please get out and go do farming or something lol.
I thought about, but it is not well paid. I make money mostly from investments though, still do occasional coding stuff - for money.
For mathematicians in the US, it's because their parents like money.