TheRiov wrote:
But NEGATIVE results are still publishable. People don't just publish papers proving things.
In fact, people never publish papers proving things. They only publish papers that show evidence supporting their hypothesis(es), which makes their hypothesis more likely to be correct, or they publish evidence that disproves a prevailing theory (but generally it is replaced with a new theory in the same paper).
TheRiov wrote:
People go into Academia because they love the subject. They love the knowledge. People go into business because they love money and the perks that go with it. People go into politics because either they see a change that needs to happen or because they like power & weath.
Talk about stereotypes. I know a number of people who go into business because they love R&D, accounting, etc. I know academics who went into the field for protection from the economic conditions (i.e. they are hardly ever let go when tenured). Different reasons for different people.
TheRiov wrote:
Tenure is not perfect job security. Its been sold that way, primarily by people who want to be able to censor teachers for voicing unpopular opinions.
It really depends on the state. In NJ, it's essentially guaranteed employment unless you are a total idiot or really lazy. As for academics, it's not as easy as you think to change your area of research. You may think it is, but it requires a time-intensive process (grant writing, purchasing of equipment, etc.) which is why many professors stick with a specific area for their entire careers and just expand upon it.