I think what I have stated is quite fair and established at this point in documented human history... There's no reason to play games and shy away from the truth and reality anymore. This continued games we play with each other via masking our true selves and intentions is what leads to the bulk of suffering and what people claim 'we didn't see coming'. The vast potential of the information age has devolved into a game of disinformation, manipulation, and exploitation and the underpinnings of such were clear to anyone being honest with themselves as it began to set in. The facebook revelations were stated years in advance before we reached this juncture. Academics/Psychologist conducted research/published reports on observations any honest person could make about what the platforms functioned on and what it was doing to society.

> All that is required is pen/paper/computer/internet connection
Then why do we play the game of unfounded popularity? Why isn't there are more equal spotlight? Why do the most uninformed on a topic acclaim the most prominent voice? In these groupings you mention are hidden and implied establishments of power/capability. A grouping if PhDs, regardless of their works is considered to be of more valuable than an individual w/ no such ranking but whom has established far more (as shown by history). The forgotten heroes, contributors, etc is a common observation of history. It's not that they're 'forgotten', it's that social psyche choses not to spotlight or highlight them because they dont fit certain molds. An established/name personality asks for funding and gets it regardless of whether or not they have a cohesive plan for achieving something. Convince enough people of a doomsday destructive scenario and you'll get more funding than someone who is trying to honestly create something. Of course, you can then edit mission statements post-funding. What of the lost potential opportunity? What of the current state of academia?
> https://www.nature.com/news/young-talented-and-fed-up-scient...
> https://www.nature.com/news/let-researchers-try-new-paths-1....
> https://www.nature.com/news/fewer-numbers-better-science-1.2...
The articles do get published long after a trend has been operating.. Nothing changes.
It takes then someone who truly wants to implement change for the better w/ no other influence or goal in mind to fundamentally change something. This happens time and time again throughout history but institutions and power structures marginalize such occurrences to rebuff and necessitate their standing.

You don't need people in the same physical location in 2018 to conduct collaborative work yet the physical institution model still remains ingrained in people's heads. Money could go further, reach more developers, and provide for more discovery if it was spread out more and centralized in lower cost areas yet the elite circles continue to congregate in the valley.

The Ethos of Type A extroverts being the movers/shakers of the world has been proven to be a lie in recent times. So, what results in fundamental change/discovery isn't a collective of well known individuals in grand institutions. It is indeed the introvert at a lessor known university who publishes a world changing idea and paper who only then becomes a blurred footnote in a more prominent institution and individual's paper. The world does function on populism and fanfare.

> Second, this mythology has significant personal cost.
It indeed does. It causes the true innovators and discovers a world of pain and suffering throughout their life as they are crushed underneath the weight of bureaucratic and procedural lies the broader world tells itself to preserve antiquated structures.

> More young scientists must realize that it is possible to make significant contributions toward human knowledge while making good money, building a strong reputation, and having a healthy personal life. Maybe then we'd have more people doing science for a lifetime instead of flaming out after 5-10 years.

More Young scientist must be given the chance to pursue REAL research and be empowered to do so. They must be empowered to think different. They must be emboldened to leap frog their predecessors and encouraged to do so w/o becoming some head honcho's footnote. Their contributions must be recognized. They must be funded at a high level w/o bureaucratic nonsense an favoritism. A PhD should not undergo an impoverished hell of subservience to an institution resulting in them subjecting others to nonsensical white papers and over complexities. A lot of things should change that haven't even as prominent publications and figures have themselves admitted :
https://www.nature.com/collections/bfgpmvrtjy/

I've walked the halls of academia and industry.. I've seen the threads and publications in which everyone complains about the elusive problems but no one has the will or the desire to be honest about their root causes or commit to the personal sacrifices it will take to see through solutions.

I'll probably have the most negative score on Ycombinator by the end of my commentary in this thread yet will be saying the most truthful things... This is the inverted state of things.

So, Mankind has had a long time to break the loops they seem stuck in.
Now is the time for a fundamental leap and jump to that next thing beyond the localized foolishness, lies, disinformation, and games we play with each other.