This is an interesting paper, The Burden of Knowledge and the 'Death of the Renaissance Man': Is Innovation Getting Harder? , which is a $5 download (boo! hiss!) from the National Bureau of Economic Research , which finds among other that:
- As the volume of knowldge grows over time, invention requires a depth and breadth of knowldge that is impossible for single individuals to attain,
- this will encourage researchers to become more specialized
- innovation will require more teamwork
Some of the vindicating data - it is taking longer for PhDs to finish their dissertations, innovation in more mature fields is generated by larger teams comprised of more specialized members - and its all in the patents.
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