What is the "PhD"?

Just like what Trinity told Neo in the dark and loud bar in The Matrix - "It's the question that drives us. It's the question that brought you here. You know the question? Just as I did..."

What is the "PhD"?

Unfortunately, like the Matrix, no one can be told what the PhD is. You have to see it for yourself. Are you ready for the red pill? Are you ready for the truth?

Here is a collection of opinions on the web from the predecessors of what PhD might be...

Usually PhD comes after BS (Bull Shxt) and MS (More of the Same)...

Permanent Head Damage (after the degree)
Player Hater Degree (try it yourself)
Post Hole Digger (try to hide?)
Post Homicidal Depression (serial killers)
Pothole Dodger (driver on poorly maintained roads)
Professional Help Desk (Job?)
Push Here Dummy
Patiently Hoping for Degree (during the degree)
Piled Higher and Deeper (papers?)
Please Hire. Desperate! (if finished)
Pour Him (or Her) a Drink (and more)
Potential Heavy Drinker (afterwards)
Physiologically Deficient (most likely)
Probably Headed for Divorce (very possible)
Pathetically Hopeless Dweeb
Pathetically Homeless Dreamer (worse)
Probably Heavily in Debt (high probability)
Parents Have Doubts (they just don't say)
Professors Had Doubts (they couldn't be bothered to say)
Pheromone Deprived (sad)
Professional Hamburger Dispenser (sadder)
Pizza Hut Driver (sad, too)
Pretty Heavily Depressed (symptom)
Prozac Handouts Desired (might help)
Probably Half Dead
Progressive Heart Disorder (during)
Permanent Heart Damage (after)
Philosophically Disturbed
Probably Hard to Describe
Patiently Headed Downhill
Please Hold! Dangerous! (warning!)
Promised Hell Down-the-road (more warning!)
Probably Heavely Death (very likely outcome!)

The list goes on, but as you can see, one needs to pay some serious price to see what PhD really is. And how deep does the rabbit hole go? Nobody really knows.

Are you taking the red pill?

"Where does it go?" was taken during our Warrnambool trip in June 2006.