MORE REASON TO BE TIRED. The Modern Language Association investigates differences in the time-to-promotion of male and female professors, primarily in English. The investigation stumbles across a fundamental truth.

Women who are married or in marriage-like relationships reported earning full professor promotions after 8.8 years, compared to 6.8 years for men. Single or divorced men or women earned promotion a bit earlier, but still with the gap evident: Single or divorced men earned promotion after an average of 6.0 years, while the figure was 7.7 for women.

Both single men and single women saw their lack of partners as an advantage professionally -- even if this was not their desire personally. The comments that survey participants submitted draw this out. One man said, “Being single and having time to devote myself obsessively to my writing, teaching and service” was the key to his success. A female associate professor said that "the cost of getting ahead professionally has been almost entirely personal. I’m single with no kids; I’ve worked more or less unremittingly for the past six years and my family and friends have not gotten the love and attention from me that they deserve."

I ask again: what is the sound of Atlas, shrugging? In economics, we understand that our Ph.D. is relatively unattractive because of the M.B.A. It takes less time to earn, there's less intellectual challenge, the hours are no better, and the money can be much better.