What does it mean to be called an "expert"? For many academics, it means being tapped to be a consultant--an informal adviser or expert brought in by an organization to solve a problem or train people. It's often the most profitable of all activities a university researcher or professor can get into (other than running a start-up as wildly successful as Google), but other than the monetary upside, consulting offers its own set of rewards--chiefly, the chance to build meaningful relationships with the people who "make things happen"; the much greater likelihood to network and interact with important decision-makers, whether in business, civil society, and government is its own psychic reward. Seeing through an idea from (far-fetched) concept to (practical) reality? Priceless.
Power is wedded to ideas because ideas enable, validate, and actualize power--which is why it should not be surprising to hear of scholars being frequently tagged as part of a society's "elite" or "establishment," regardless of economic status. (That is, even the most radical of thinkers can be coopted, given the right opportunity. Or the right price, to be more cynical about the entire enterprise.) Unsurprisingly, the most well-reputed (not necessarily the most intelligent) consultants get tapped by the most influential, and in the process, become thought leaders themselves (as public intellectuals). It's an inevitable, iterative dynamic between politics, society, and science. When guided toward the right ends, it makes sweeping change--and therefore, progress--possible.
Successful consulting, of course, depends on continuous teaching and learning. For these, there are no substitutes. With great power, after all, comes great responsibility.
Today's links:
How economists missed the financial crisis
What if women were always "in the mood"?
Short yet meaningful advice for incoming college students (from people who know best)
The surprising similarities between travel writing and video game reviewing
Economic "disneylands" as potential policy labs and drivers of growth
