"science is a hilariously difficult area to become famous in" There's fame, like Einstein had, and there's fame like how everyone in your specific field knows

"science is a hilariously difficult area to become famous in" There's fame, like Einstein had, and there's fame like how everyone in your specific field knows who you are. For a comparison, there's "president of the United States" but there's also "Mayor of Albuquerque". The former is very hard to get. The latter, more common, and more achievable. Here's an example of how anonymity would hurt. A lot of pharmaceutical research is done in industry. While some of the research is kept proprietary, especially early on, other parts are published. It's a lot of work to publish. It may include talking with company lawyers so that confidential information isn't revealed. Why might someone go through this extra effort? One factor, of course, is the altruistic goal of advancing science. Another factor is the more egocentric desire to finally be able to tell others - who are often friends - the cool things you've been working on. A third is the knowledge that layoffs come, and a paper is a form of advertisement for future employment. The latter two disappear if all publications were anonymous.