The lighter side of PhD's

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PhD piled higher and dryer.

Can mean quite a few different things. Typically means means that you got into graduate school, did some research in the library, took a few courses, blended the two into an MA or MS.

Then you applied again to enter a PhD program. The professors looking at your app decided you were OK on two counts, and being way more of one than the other, might still have gotten you in over another applicant, who was evenly balanced.

The two counts:

Bright enough to understand and advance the work of one or more of the existing profs.

Subservient enough to do tons of grunt work to advance the work of one or more of the existing profs.

And in both cases, the applicant is obviously needy enough of the label to go through the process. Bill Gates was not so needy, neither was Ellison, neither Harlan Writer or Larry Oracle.

PhD is the Ponzi Pyramid scheme brought to academia, there are too few opening for full time professors at good salaries, except possibly in medicine.