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Science used to be a self-funded hobby of the upper classes. Then after that came the tenure system, where people had at least had safe and stable emplyment. No

by im3w1l 5y ago

Science used to be a self-funded hobby of the upper classes. Then after that came the tenure system, where people had at least had safe and stable emplyment. Nowadays there are legions of precariously employed scientists desperately trying to hawk their science.

im3w1l 5y ago
Replying to myself, I think I got the first part of that wrong. Patronage used to be important for a long time.
- epistasis 5y ago
  Right, and the current situation is much better, and less political, than having to find a patron before you can even really get started.