# Where did the guys on BBT get their Ph.Ds

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-guys-on-bbt-get-their-ph-ds/669836>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 27, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-guys-on-bbt-get-their-ph-ds/669836 "2013-09-27T21:16:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-guys-on-bbt-get-their-ph-ds/669836/41 "2013-10-04T21:59:03Z")

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> [@sachertorte](#):
>
> I can’t speak to CalTech practices, but I generally disagree with this statement. The number of MIT professors with MIT degrees is not small.  
> Of course none of the main characters are professors anyway, but I would think professor counts as a permanent position as much as whatever their official positions are.

Yeah, this is a big problem for a place like MIT. A normal place is usually quite big on avoiding “nepotism” (a.k.a. “incest”). But MIT thinks its grads are the best in the Universe so why should they deign to hire someone from a “lesser” school. Despite being carefully explained to them why this mentality is _exactly_ why you don’t hire your own, it persists and reinforces itself. (Note that many places do hire their own after they’ve proven themselves elsewhere, getting to at least Associate and sometimes even Full at another department.)

Since research positions aren’t considered as important as tenure track (and viewed as less permanent), this isn’t so important for that group.

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**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-guys-on-bbt-get-their-ph-ds/669836/42 "2013-10-04T22:24:25Z")

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> [@Justin\_Bailey](#):
>
> And yet, their depiction of video games is often so spot on that they get ALL the details right.

Not to mention their comic book discussions, which are remarkably accurate, though they seem to be stuck in the 1970s.

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**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-did-the-guys-on-bbt-get-their-ph-ds/669836/43 "2013-10-04T23:13:08Z")

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didn’t one or possibly both of leonard’s parents teach or work at princeton? that would give leonard a break on tuition.

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