> Didn’t the greatest advancements in science occur during a time when it was more of a personal hobby (19th and early 20th centuries)? Is this true? I have fa

> Didn’t the greatest advancements in science occur during a time when it was more of a personal hobby (19th and early 20th centuries)? Is this true? I have far from an exhaustive knowledge of research but most of the advances I can think of were by academics: Maxwell, Bohr, the Curies, etc. Einstein was one notable exception but he was trying to get hired by universities during his miracle year; antisemitism likely played a role. Soon after he was hired and forever after led the academic life.