The Value of Slow Research in a Fast-Paced Academic Culture
By
jakobgreenfeld
5mo ago· 6 min readenOpinion
100/100
Golden Brown
Bagelometer↗
Sesame, salt, and substance. A flagship bake.
Score100TypeopinionSentimentneutral
Summary
The article argues that modern culture and academia prioritize fast, easily answerable questions that lead to quick publications and career advancement, while neglecting the most important questions that require slow, uncertain research. It distinguishes between 'development' (having a clear step-by-step plan) and true 'research' (having only a fuzzy idea of the destination), advocating for the value of slowness, uncertainty, and deep exploration in meaningful intellectual work.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledModern culture is focused exclusively on questions that can be answered quickly.
When you can write down a step-by-step plan for how you're going to answer a question or solve a specific problem, you aren't doing research but development.
Research means you only have a fuzzy idea of your destination.
The most important questions can't be answered like that.
This is how you build a career.
... at least when you're doing research, not development
