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The occasional blowhard professor aside, there is a thread of idealism in many research circles that advancing the field is more important than advancing one's
by egyptiankarim 9y ago
The occasional blowhard professor aside, there is a thread of idealism in many research circles that advancing the field is more important than advancing one's stature. My favorite example of this is all of the research that went into the creation of Bitcoin and the still unknown identity of its creator.
- jjxw 9y agoNot to presume any motivations of Bitcoin's creator, but it doesn't hurt when the success of your research also nets you an incredible amount of wealth. Though, as far as I know the presumed wallet that he owns has not had any funds moved off of it so at least their interest is aligned with the success of Bitcoin.
- auggierose 9y agoThat's a nice example. But putting your name on your research is not so much about stature. Publishing anonymously is more akin to giving your baby up for adoption. Sure, there are people doing this, and they even might have a good reason for it, but if you demand that upfront then most people never would have babies.
- egyptiankarim 9y agoFair enough. I know lots of researchers are very personally invested in their work and I can imagine the sting. I promise I wasn't calling you a blowhard or anything :)
- ksk 9y agoI don't quite understand the 'blowhard professor' and bitcoin references. There are are hundreds of thousands of attributed peer-reviewed publications per year by serious academics who want to further the field.
- egyptiankarim 9y agoYou're absolutely right. There are. Blowhard professors, in my opinion, are the ones that prioritize recognition over research. There's a thread in certain research circles that would eschew any such recognition in the hopes of putting their work on a pedestal in place of themselves (e.g., the Bitcoin people, again in my opinion).
- make3 9y agoExcept that this is clearly only to keep the price of the researchers down. This is shameful.
- egyptiankarim 9y agoI don't know. I think there's a benefit to having anonymized research. It forces the work to stand on its own. Sort of an extension to blinded peer-review processes. Plus, I highly doubt Apple researchers, or researchers at any other tech giants, are toiling away for peanuts.
- johnsmith21006 9y agoI would argue the Bitcoin author being secret has created more intrigue and possibly more noterriery. It is believed to be Nick Szabo, btw. There is also a security issue as thought that he has a lot of bitcoins hidden away.
- egyptiankarim 9y agoFair enough. Maybe I'm being an idealist hoping for some idealism in the world. And yeah, there've been several theories about who it might be. It's like the Banksy of the cryptocurrency world. Just as cool, but way less street cred :)
- vacri 9y agoThere is also a thread of idealism in many research circles that the researchers would like to continue working on a liveable wage. Having some public work helps that. It's pretty obscene that you equate any desire for recognition of your work with being a blowhard.
- egyptiankarim 9y agoLivable wage? Researchers at Silicon Valley powerhouse companies aren't exactly toiling away for peanuts, are they? Also, the implication of my statement is that blowhards tend to prioritize their desire for recognition, not that the desire for recognition makes you a blowhard. Hardly an "obscene" assertion.