University professorships are the highest status jobs in academia

Which is kind of weird, considering how many other annoying things professors need to do. Professors do three or more jobs.

Why is this? Part of it is a feedback loop where the best researchers become professors so professorships are associated with the best research so the best researchers become professors.

Hunch: in the research world in the past it was easier to go from not being a professor to being a professor so there was less pressure to get on tenure track asap.

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