Comment by fc417fc802

> Seems like AI could help massively there, by removing a huge bottleneck around technical elaboration and application seeking.

Ah yes, lets take the existing system that's already barely holding up and flood it with slop. What could go wrong?

> Since we lack the resources to fund every PhD with a crazy theory on what the next new subfield ought to be, how do we decide?

Do away with the perpetual uncertainty of the "will we or won't we continue to fund you" grant treadmill for practicing academics. Hold a yearly competition of academic prowess and intelligence open to any adult US citizen under retirement age. Award the winners a grant good for 40 years. If we allocated slots equal to 0.005% of the population each year (ie ~17k) that would represent 0.2% (ie 1 per 500) of the population in total at any given time.

Obviously I say that (mostly) in jest but clearly there are workable solutions if we approach things from a new angle instead of determinedly clinging to the status quo.