Anonymous
05/19/2026 22:55
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:How’s astrophysics and/or physics doing these days?
Pretty poorly. Someone will inevitably respond that they can just get finance jobs when those are some of the most competitive jobs around and mostly aren’t hiring physics grads who have pretty narrow skills coming out of undergrad. Research funding is being cut left and right unless it’s DOD or DOE funded, and even then, Trump is implicitly leaking that funding over to contractors and private industry.
I would just choose math at the undergrad level and hone in on probability, statistics, and differential equations
To what end professionally? Not being snarky--genuinely interested, as the math-dumb parent of a math major.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 21:19
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:Two things happened at once (partly related)
1) The era of cheap money ended. Companies (especially software ones) who had aggressively hired in the post-Covid era and even before, found themselves over-extended and decided to cut back. They mostly use AI as a ruse but really it is primarily a financial matter.
2) Russ Vought (it is not Trump) declared war on science funding agencies. No one has exactly figured out his specific issue with them but none are spared. DoE, NOAA, NASA (science), NSF, NIH everyone. He's using clever ways to obey the letter of the law while gutting scientific research (fewer grants, basic research sacrificed for a few shiny baubles like AI and quantum systems etc.)
I feel like both of these things will turn around and there will be hiring in a few years. I have so many Gen X neighbors pushed out of scientifici fields prematurely …. It’s going to create a lot of upward mobility for millenials and Gen Z behind them. This “dark ages” of anti science won’t last …. Even the moneyed class that runs out life wants development for industry and cures for their own cancer etc etc. once Trump is goje and Rs can start pushing for the things they actually care about, we’ll see a return to science funding.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 21:17
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:How’s astrophysics and/or physics doing these days?
Pretty poorly. Someone will inevitably respond that they can just get finance jobs when those are some of the most competitive jobs around and mostly aren’t hiring physics grads who have pretty narrow skills coming out of undergrad. Research funding is being cut left and right unless it’s DOD or DOE funded, and even then, Trump is implicitly leaking that funding over to contractors and private industry.
I would just choose math at the undergrad level and hone in on probability, statistics, and differential equations
Anonymous
05/19/2026 21:09
Subject: STEM Delusions
Ask the sophmore business majors at Ivies how many of them have a junior year banking internship....
less than 1/2 the previous year. Classes are smaller at all employers. They don't need as many kids.
less than 1/2 the previous year. Classes are smaller at all employers. They don't need as many kids.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 21:06
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:How’s astrophysics and/or physics doing these days?
Actually, lots of jobs in space sector right now.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:34
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:What is up with all the unemployed STEM majors? Is it a supply imbalance or is AI? If supply side are any STEM fields more stable (e.g. civil vs computing, etc).
I disagree with the premise, unless referring to pre-med students who did not get into Medical School…
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:33
Subject: STEM Delusions
Again….yawn
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:33
Subject: STEM Delusions
How’s astrophysics and/or physics doing these days?
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:13
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:Two things happened at once (partly related)
1) The era of cheap money ended. Companies (especially software ones) who had aggressively hired in the post-Covid era and even before, found themselves over-extended and decided to cut back. They mostly use AI as a ruse but really it is primarily a financial matter.
2) Russ Vought (it is not Trump) declared war on science funding agencies. No one has exactly figured out his specific issue with them but none are spared. DoE, NOAA, NASA (science), NSF, NIH everyone. He's using clever ways to obey the letter of the law while gutting scientific research (fewer grants, basic research sacrificed for a few shiny baubles like AI and quantum systems etc.)
And of course vought’s degrees are in history and political science. Social scientists hate STEM, And I don’t know what their bone is against it but it’s caused so many issues.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 18:07
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:What is up with all the unemployed STEM majors? Is it a supply imbalance or is AI? If supply side are any STEM fields more stable (e.g. civil vs computing, etc).
Not sure what you are talking about. By STEM, if you are referring to Chemistry and Biology majors hoping for medical school then I get it. If you are talking about Tech and Engineering, they are doing much better than their classmates not Tech and Engineering.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 17:59
Subject: STEM Delusions
Two things happened at once (partly related)
1) The era of cheap money ended. Companies (especially software ones) who had aggressively hired in the post-Covid era and even before, found themselves over-extended and decided to cut back. They mostly use AI as a ruse but really it is primarily a financial matter.
2) Russ Vought (it is not Trump) declared war on science funding agencies. No one has exactly figured out his specific issue with them but none are spared. DoE, NOAA, NASA (science), NSF, NIH everyone. He's using clever ways to obey the letter of the law while gutting scientific research (fewer grants, basic research sacrificed for a few shiny baubles like AI and quantum systems etc.)
1) The era of cheap money ended. Companies (especially software ones) who had aggressively hired in the post-Covid era and even before, found themselves over-extended and decided to cut back. They mostly use AI as a ruse but really it is primarily a financial matter.
2) Russ Vought (it is not Trump) declared war on science funding agencies. No one has exactly figured out his specific issue with them but none are spared. DoE, NOAA, NASA (science), NSF, NIH everyone. He's using clever ways to obey the letter of the law while gutting scientific research (fewer grants, basic research sacrificed for a few shiny baubles like AI and quantum systems etc.)
Anonymous
05/19/2026 17:52
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What is up with all the unemployed STEM majors? Is it a supply imbalance or is AI? If supply side are any STEM fields more stable (e.g. civil vs computing, etc).
I think it was mostly CS.
It’s really bad in research right now. If you get into a PhD program you’re fine for the time your funding is there, but the funds for predoctoral students (post-bac/research assistant), funded masters, and staff positions is gone.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 17:39
Subject: STEM Delusions
Anonymous wrote:What is up with all the unemployed STEM majors? Is it a supply imbalance or is AI? If supply side are any STEM fields more stable (e.g. civil vs computing, etc).
I think it was mostly CS.
Anonymous
05/19/2026 13:25
Subject: STEM Delusions
This american generation was finally finding stem...
Anonymous
05/19/2026 13:21
Subject: STEM Delusions
What is up with all the unemployed STEM majors? Is it a supply imbalance or is AI? If supply side are any STEM fields more stable (e.g. civil vs computing, etc).