True, but they join a system that selects for people who publish constantly and get grants by keeping their work within established models (my original post also spoke of this issue). The ones who are slow and deep either don't get hired or don't get tenure. The European universities are beginning to follow suit, too, unfortunately. It's late now and I'm too tired to look this up, but I know that the UK at least is having the same metrics-driven problems that we are (don't know the degree). My friends in Ireland have also complained about a more industrial culture at at least one major university there.
Breakthroughs---especially big ones---are rare events. All I'm saying is that I think our educational and academic research systems in the US are making it even harder for them to happen.
Note to other posters: yes, the Kuhn book is great! A lot of my thinking is influenced by his ideas.
