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Math is not profitable shrug
Sure it is: just work in trading.
Which is "profitable", but again - a waste of talent.
"Waste of talent", according to what and who?
According to thoese of use who care about the future stability of our societies. Waste of talent is not correct it's more like talent actively being used for harm.
Waste of talent is not correct it's more like talent actively being used for harm.

Well put, and I stand corrected.

How does math stabilize societies? Funding the homeless shelter and food bank across my town probably stabilizes the area than any further investments in math.
Not to the individual. But it's massively profitable to society. Literally every modern technology is enabled by math.
the crux of their argument is that not doing a math PhD == wasted talent.

Which is as silly as it sounds.

Further, there is this nugget to further undermine their own point:

> We cannot rule the possibility that developing country talent end up in valuable occupations (outside mathematical and non-mathematical knowledge production) where they might make distinctive contributions.