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Hossenfelder sees quite clearly the structural problems in academic science. She describes how most of the scientific enterprise has devolved into an elaborate and cynical combination of parlour game and financial scam. Principal Investigators get grants, in order for the bloated university administrations to rake off their overhead surcharges. In order to get grants, papers must be published. Since the PIs spend much of their time either writing grant proposals or schmoozing with the other PIs who may well end up on the committees that decide whether or not their proposals are approved, the PIs need postdocs and doctoral students to write the papers. It doesn’t matter if the papers are true, or interesting, or useful. It doesn’t matter if they advance human understanding. It doesn’t matter if they represent significant advances with profound real-world applications. All that matters is that they pass peer review, get a few citations, and can be added to the PI’s publication list. ...
All in service of the sordid imperative that the mediocrities in admin be kept floating in the unearned luxury of their warm ocean of overhead cash.
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"Stern and lasting message" my ass. Only life in prison will do. Singapore is a much better country than the US in this way.