In plate tectonics, all of the interesting effects like mountain formation, earthquakes, happen on the edge of the plates. This is also a useful analogy for any field where the more interesting work happens on the bleeding edge.
See also:
- The Incomplete Guide to the Art of Discovery which talks about advances in plate tectonics that led to a flurry of new discoveries at the edge of the field.
Links to this note
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AI Doubles Productivity of Top Researchers
A study of artificial intelligence on productivity at a materials research lab found that the bottom third of researchers saw no improvement but top researchers doubled in productivity (as measured by materials discovered, patents, and “downstream product innovation”). The top researchers used AI to offload 57% of idea generation to focus on evaluation of the most promising ones rather than chasing dead ends. This suggests AI multiplies the value of expertise rather than leveling the playing field.