Comments by "bj0rn" (@TheLivirus) on "Science is in trouble and it worries me." video.

Too much top-down distribution of resources. Young scientists need to prove their loyalty to old paradigms in order to secure their career. Even senior scientists need to appeal to politics and financial interests to succeed. This is really bad for innovation and progress.
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@ArgumentumAdHominem I'm no expert on research finance, but I imagine that it would be beneficial to have a balance between rewarding demonstrated research performance and taking chances with unproven researchers who show ambition. Even if 95% of unproven researchers fail, the remaining 5% may introduce innovative ideas which wouldn't otherwise have been given a chance. It could be a mechanism against stagnation.
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@ArgumentumAdHominem Hmm, interesting, I think I agree a little, but not fully on the weight of merit. Maybe "top-down" wasn't the right word. What I was trying to say is that by nature of science it is impossible to know in advance what will succeed. Rather than trying to work around this issue through an increasingly advanced meritocracy, it may be more efficient to just take more chances with unproven researchers. "But how do we then distribute limited resources fairly?" How about: screen with not too high bar, then select randomly.
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@hurrdurr3615 I think you've mischaracterized the problem. String theory attracted some of the smarted and most hard working people and they have been very productive in terms of papers and mathematical innovations. Unfortunately their hard work has not led to progress in physics. This is not a problem of people being lazy or greedy, but perhaps a reminder not to put all eggs in one basket, even if the smartest people say it has the highest potential for success.
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 @Kulei666 Which science are you talking about? I'm guessing not physics.
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@volkris Ok, yeah that's even worse.
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@edwardk3 The economy is racist
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By nature of science it is impossible to know in advance where groundbreaking discoveries will be made. No meritocratic system can guarantee success nor eliminate failure. You simply need to take risks in order to make progress in science. This calls for more humility and daring exploration and less trying to foresee what will succeed.
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