10 ms·
I think you misunderstand. Tenure is usually granted to people with a (sometimes minor) track record of their ideas working out. Essentially it amounts to a bet
by lomnakkus 10y ago
I think you misunderstand. Tenure is usually granted to people with a (sometimes minor) track record of their ideas working out. Essentially it amounts to a bet on things to come, or IOW of "is person X a crank or not?". This, of course, is also tied to the field in which they are working, etc.
(Sure, some good researchers turn into cranks later in life[1], but usually in a different -- often unrelated -- field.)
[1] Nobel prize winners often succumb to this, sadly.
- MPSimmons 10y agoSeems like having the preeminent researchers in a field be the ones to do the weirdest research while teaching students on the foundations and established research is a pretty solid decision.
- grkvlt 10y agoI guess you're referring to Brian Josephson, who went from superconductors (Nobel prize) to things like telepathy etc. but I'm interested if there are other examples. A quick search turns up Kary Mullis as a possible other example, but I don't know too much about him, and it's a difficult topic to research.
- cschmidt 10y agoLinus Pauling (two Nobel prizes!) jumps to mind with his Vitamin C work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling#Medical_research_and_vitamin_C_advocacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling#Medical_research...