Calvin Mooers pointed this out in 1959, and his observation is known to information scientists as Mooers' Law. He was speaking mostly in the context of informa

Calvin Mooers pointed this out in 1959, and his observation is known to information scientists as Mooers' Law. He was speaking mostly in the context of information retrieval, but he also described how it's true in a more general sense: "Having information is painful and troublesome. We all have experienced this. If you have information, you must first read it, which is not always easy. You must then try to understand it. To do this, you may have to think about it. The information may require you to make decisions about it or other information. The decisions may require action in the way of a troublesome program of work, or trips or painful interviews. Understanding the information may show that your work was wrong, or that your boss was wrong, or may show that your work was needless. Having information, you must be careful not to lose it. If nothing else, information piles up on your desk—unread. It is a nuisance to have it come to you. It is uncomfortable to have to do anything about it. Finally, if you do try to use the information properly, you may be accused of puttering instead of working. Then in the end, the incorporation of the information into the work you do may often not be noticed or appreciated. Work saved is seldom recognized. Work done—even in duplication—is well paid and rewarded." http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bult.37/full http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bult.37/full i am a bit surprised and disappointed that this new paper makes no mention of Mooers at all.