But note that R&D, basic research, is unexpected in the sense that we as outsiders don’t know which narrowly focused group will succeed. It is very rare that when some group does succeed that it consists of undisciplined dilettantes pursuing research in an unfocused matter. So it’s a matter of not knowing which research goals have highest payoffs, instead of not knowing which goals you as a researcher are interested in pursuing.
Or think about it this way, the existing social epistemology setup already implements what is necessary to reap the rewards of curiosity on this larger scale. You as an individual researcher, should rather narrow your curiosity to what you are immediately working on.
Being mediocre makes you boring. I am all for interestingness. The optimal curiosity-focus balance for that is somewhere in between.
But note that R&D, basic research, is unexpected in the sense that we as outsiders don’t know which narrowly focused group will succeed. It is very rare that when some group does succeed that it consists of undisciplined dilettantes pursuing research in an unfocused matter. So it’s a matter of not knowing which research goals have highest payoffs, instead of not knowing which goals you as a researcher are interested in pursuing.
Or think about it this way, the existing social epistemology setup already implements what is necessary to reap the rewards of curiosity on this larger scale. You as an individual researcher, should rather narrow your curiosity to what you are immediately working on.
Being mediocre makes you boring. I am all for interestingness. The optimal curiosity-focus balance for that is somewhere in between.