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hgoelyesterday at 9:56 PM3 repliesview on HN

Is there a reason you went for 3 PhDs? Especially since they're all in STEM? To me it's a red flag because the point of a PhD is to learn to do research, you don't need to get another one to move between fields (especially within STEM), just need to do research with people in those fields and gain experience.


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iliatoliyesterday at 9:58 PM

Each PhD was in a different country and decade. Mathematics (Pisa, 2000s), Quantum Chemistry (UCF, 2010s), Materials Science (UTD, now). The fluorographane work exists because all three converge — the barrier calculation is quantum chemistry, the proof structure is mathematics, and the material is materials science. I didn't plan it this way.

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juleiieyesterday at 10:14 PM

Some people actually enjoy studying and learning in these spaces. Does everything have to be optimized for?

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