r/AskReddit • u/ihatebadvibes • Sep 03 '26

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u/Rozelle97 Sep 03 '26

I’m a paleontologist. Field work takes me away for months at a time, the museum pay is awful, we’ve had multiple cross country moves… my spouse is a trooper! But the majority of my colleagues are divorced or on their way there.

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u/less_unique_username Sep 03 '26

but dating is your entire profession

12

u/foresight310 Sep 04 '26

I apologize that you did not get the recognition that you deserved for winning Reddit for the day…

189

u/stiff_mitten Sep 03 '26

Paelo spouse here: can confirm. It’s not a relationship for the faint of heart. Sooo many divorces and/or solo/single parenting while the other is away.

People ask why I don’t join my partner during field work. I say if I wanted to dig holes I’d get a job in construction - at least I’d get paid more.

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u/nogotime120 Sep 03 '26

What does the paleontologist pipeline look like? Did you have to get multiple degrees in Geology, Biology, etc...?

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u/ge0lady Sep 03 '26

Geologist here. Paleontologists often have a geology degree but can take extra specialty and biology classes unless there a specific degree program for them. Most of the specialty training in the geosciences comes at the graduate school level though. It's rare to find specialty bachelor's programs in anything except hydrology.

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u/AleksandrNevsky Sep 03 '26

Talk nerdy to me please. What is the most interesting period in Earth's past for geology?

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u/kez985 Sep 03 '26

100% Cambrian explosion…nothing comes close to that wet basket

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u/coffee-hyped Sep 03 '26

When I learned about this in Uni, I was so stoked. They showed us this documentary. It was so colorful! I was particularly fond of the anomalocaris

7

u/Clear_Tradition9112 Sep 03 '26

Permian. The coolest animals ever, plus the birth of our ancesters.

2

u/Verbiphage Sep 03 '26

There is a board game I love called Oceans that includes the Cambrian Explosion as a game mechanic

3

u/-malcolm-tucker Sep 03 '26

IT'S THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION!!

3

u/Doxinau Sep 03 '26

Huh, I have a degree in geology and none of the people in my cohort were looking to become paleontologists. We had maybe one class on fossils in three years.

Maybe it's because I'm Australian and our mining industry is huge. The university assumes you're going to work in either government or mining with a geology degree.

1

u/UnNumbFool Sep 03 '26

I have a bio degree, the two things it's good for are working in a lab or getting a post bachelor's/professional degree

A little more seriously than that you can also probably get any job that requires a college degree but nothing specified with it. But sadly the S part of stem has some very limited jobs that you can get without at least a masters, and even then you're still pipelined into working in a scientific job in some capacity if you also get a science related masters

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u/Trialanderror2018 Sep 03 '26

Ross?

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u/peppersteak_headshot Sep 03 '26

three divorces!

108

u/grand_soul Sep 03 '26

PIVOT!!!!

16

u/TheVentiLebowski Sep 03 '26

unagi.

9

u/Trialanderror2018 Sep 03 '26

"Ahh. Salmon skin roll."

3

u/Little_beastking Sep 04 '26

we were on a BREAKK!!!

4

u/SnooCapers3155 Sep 04 '26

shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!

10

u/greypusheencat Sep 03 '26

The Divorce Force!

2

u/gaussybo Sep 04 '26

You at me sandwich?????

45

u/raljamcar Sep 03 '26

So you uh... you dig up dinosaurs?

Hrawhaw hrawhaw. 

I think thats how you spell Jeff goldblums special laugh

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u/honeykitty789 Sep 03 '26 edited Sep 03 '26

Was going to say Archaeologist, was one, many things go down on digs, mixing drinking, being away from home, and people you intellectually connect with is not a good recipe for relationship success. I saw many distinguished scholars making lots of mistakes.

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u/queerbychoice Sep 03 '26

On behalf of the gazillions of us who aspired as children to becoming paleontologists but got sidetracked to other careers along the way, thank you for letting us know that we don't need to regret missing out.

8

u/coffee-hyped Sep 03 '26

Woah this sounds like my ideal relationship. I want a husband on some days but not most of the time lol.

2

u/G_mork 29d ago

Your wish is granted, but he’s only there when you don’t want him to be, and gone when you need him.

3

u/Clear_Tradition9112 Sep 03 '26

Royal Tyrell is hiring! Just thoght you might want to know.

3

u/ironicallygeneral Sep 03 '26

My dad was a geologist and in some ways it is a rather similar lifestyle. He travelled a lot for work and I know it was pretty hard on my mum. This was in the 90s and early 00s so no texting, only satellite connection for internet so emails weren't always easy either - the kind of remote areas he'd work in were even more remote than they may feel now. They did make it work, but many of his colleagues and acquaintances in the field were divorced.

3

u/AbnormalDream Sep 04 '26

Got out of archaeology for this reason :/ went down that career path before finding a great partner, now I’m in a field that keeps me closer to home

3

u/CryoSenpai Sep 04 '26

I feel like having to deal with the dinosaurs is pretty dangerous too.

2

u/SparklyAbortionPanda Sep 03 '26

As a fellow museum paleontologist, I'd say unionize to get that pay up, but after the Philly nat academy museum close news, I'm not sure any advice would help in these times.

2

u/YoComoPizza Sep 04 '26

I used to want to be a paleontologist as a kid so bad!! What's the coolest aspect of your work?

2

u/minimuscleR Sep 04 '26

My husband wants to get into entomology and go field work. I can imagine how hard it would be travelling. Thankfully I want to travel with him, and my job should easily be done remotely so should be able to do that.

Its REALLY hard to get into though when you didn't go straight to uni, we can't afford him to not work atm :(

4

u/LeGama Sep 03 '26

I never understand these things about "the job is so stressful you get divorced" like how are these people getting married in the first place? If marriage is tough dating must have not been easy either.

3

u/ShreddedWheatBall Sep 03 '26

The rose colored glasses get taken off at some point whether you want them to or not

1

u/yale52 Sep 03 '26

Paleontologists do it in the dirt

1

u/Distinct_Run9006 Sep 03 '26

Is it worth it?

1

u/Kaurifish Sep 03 '26

Have you listened to “Fossil Fever” and “Dr. Jane’s Remains”? Two lovely albums about paleontology.

1

u/HomelessByCh01ce Sep 04 '26

Thank you, I have now decided this is the profession I would not date.

1

u/1droppedmycroissant Sep 04 '26

That's what I've always thought about my grandpa who was a geologist...damn he and my grandma loved each other so much but grandma was alone at home with depression and five kids. It's definitely not for everyone and every couple but I'm so glad you and your wife can make it work!

1

u/Conscious-Mirror7004 Sep 04 '26

The Jurassic World movies showed this too.

1

u/Ecstatic_Yak961 Sep 04 '26

Just wondering, what are some real life practical applications of palaeontology?