EINSTEIN IN TODAY’S WORLD: THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF IGNORING GENIUSES AND THEIR STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL IN A WORLD FULL OF UNIVERSITIES AND WASTED MONEY

In a world where we supposedly worship innovation, it’s a bit of a cruel joke that they have set up a system more adept at maintaining the status quo than fostering groundbreaking ideas. Instead of really nurturing the brightest minds, the crony circles are patting themselves on the back in a self-congratulatory ego-echo chamber of mediocrity, while the next Einstein languishes in obscurity. The irony is as palpable as it is bitter — in their rush to institutionalize.

Yep, consider that case of Albert Einstein. His seminal contributions to physics, including the theory of special relativity, were published while he was a mere patent clerk, unaffiliated with any academic institution. These works ( though, only three miserable papers, way too few for the current standards) were revolutionary, not just in their groundbreaking content, but also in their defiance of the established norms of the time, opening doors to new scientific paradigms.

In the current era, awash with universities and seemingly limitless research funding, Einstein’s path to recognition would likely be far more convoluted. Today’s academic and scientific landscape is heavily skewed in favor of those with institutional support, typically through academic appointments or research grants. The pathway to publishing in prestigious journals, a key factor in gaining recognition, is closely tied to these institutional affiliations. An Einstein of our time, working independently of the academic framework, would find it nearly impossible to break through the barriers to publication and recognition. The modern academic world, with its labyrinth of bureaucratic funding processes and its preoccupation with institutional affiliations, could easily overlook a groundbreaking talent working outside its bounds.

In a world overflowing with university resources and research dollars, the knowledge and scientific systems are prone to sidelining the most innovative and transformative thinkers. The excessive reliance on academic and even profitable private institutions and grant funding as the primary gatekeepers of scientific discourse risks excluding those independent minds that can potentially offer groundbreaking perspectives and solutions.

We are, in fact, living in a decadent world where the so-called engineering and scientific breakthroughs are mere rehashes of very well-known facts, just refurbished with scientific marketing and a famous journal, Nature or Science.The last nail in that coffin has come from the astounding degree of manipulated and falsified data published even in the top journals.

The once so powerful science and engineering have been reduced to publish or perish as the necessary trade step before catching fame, power, and money.