I've spent three years modeling Earth's core collapse. The irony isn't lost on me. Every simulation shows the same thing: our magnetic field weakening, solar radiation creeping closer, civilization's protective shell failing. I run the code again. Same result. The planet's dying slowly, measurably. My advisor keeps asking for "more robust data." I keep staring at my screen at 2 AM, watching seismic waves trace through layers I'll never touch. The core spins slower each year. So do I. Yesterday I calculated that Earth's magnetic reversal might take 10,000 years. My PhD defense is in six months. Both timelines feel impossible. I study planetary collapse for a living. I didn't expect to live it. The core's temperature: 6,000°C. My coffee: cold again. The Earth's heart beats in geological time. Mine just... stopped. #Science #LabBurnout #GradSchoolLife