Originally Posted by Zen Scanner
It is a disturbing question, in general. Such as: How much new science is being missed by brain-power sequestored in IT departments making a decent income re-writing programs to calculate taxes on teddy bear sales?

That's a valid point, but there's another point. Some of those data crunchers are physicists who couldn't have got a job in physics because the jobs simply aren't there.

Then there are the erstwhile academics and the ones who didn't even bother trying because funding rates are so low. Why waste your time?