On Tue, Oct 30, 2012 at 12:27 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: (3) the power of conformity, and fear of ostracism, completely prevents > university experimentation. >
I am not an academic, so I can only discuss what I observe from the outside. But I suspect the pressure on academics is intense not to do things that will pigeonhole them as eccentrics or mavericks. It is not difficult to imagine that for all but the brightest the incentives for avoiding these labels include the possibility of getting tenure at a second- or first-tier institution. Even in cases of scientists whose previous work has been acknowledged as groundbreaking, it is all too easy for them to fall from grace later on -- Brian Josephson and David Bohm come to mind. Both now probably generate smirks among other scientists. One sees from time to time the recurring theme of the formidable scientist who goes on to lose his grasp of reality. This seems to be something that is expected of a certain percentage of academics, and therefore a trap for the scientist to be especially wary of. Reputation is everything. If Peter Hagelstein was accurately quoted in saying that the mainstream scientific community is a close-minded mafia, I can see why he would think this. None of this is to say that scientists aren't doing some amazing work; only that the criteria used by many for assessing new developments seem to be off. Eric
