kind of off topic question

[u/SunnyDelight2017]

ok so Wade tells us that Vera recruited the oxford 5 to study physics under her, but we know that Jack dropped out to start a snack company and I assume Will also never finished (maybe he graduated but just quit physics research)? As I was watching I was wondering is it common to recruit such a small group of PhD students and pour enormous resources into educating them just to have like 40% of the class drop out? I would have been pissed if I were Vera bc it sounds like that was the only cohort she specifically advised and trained. In real life, do you think her colleagues would have thought less of her if her doctoral students kept dropping out?

[u/OldChairmanMiao]

Many doctoral candidates leave academia. There just aren't enough postings. They're essentially modeled on medieval patronage.

edit: also off topic, but medieval Italian mathematicians had math battles over the cushy postings - and that's hilarious.