Ernst Mayr’s history of biology highlights a recurring pattern: a thinker frames decisive questions (Lyell on extinction and speciation) that others later answer (Darwin and Wallace) even if the framer’s own answers were wrong. Scientific progress often hinges less on immediate solutions and more on who sets the research agenda with the right problems.
— Recognizing and rewarding problem‑framers could improve funding, credit, and research strategy across science and policy.
T. Greer
2025.01.01
100% relevant
Mayr’s claim that Lyell’s Principles of Geology supplied Darwin and Wallace with the specific questions that organized their research programs.
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