Are big international teams leaving creativity out of science?

Enlarge (credit: Solskin)

Over the last few decades, research has grown ever more international. Big projects, like major astronomical observatories, genome sequencing, and particle physics, are all based on large teams of researchers spread across multiple institutions. And, because of the technology that makes remote work possible, even small collaborations that cross countries or continents have become increasingly commonplace.

In theory, this should make it easier for researchers to build teams that have the right talents to bring a scientific project to completion. But is it working out that way? Some recent studies have indicated that the research we produce may be getting increasingly derivative. And a study released today ties that directly to the growth in what it calls "remote collaboration."

So, is science-by-Zoom at fault? While it's a possibility worth exploring, it's difficult to separate cause and effect at this point.