As a result, new theories may only gain traction once dominant scientists cede the limelight. As physicist Max Planck supposedly once said, ‘science advances one funeral at a time.’ Researchers at MIT have since tested this famous comment by analysing what happens after the premature deaths of elite scientists.[7] They found that competing groups would subsequently publish more papers – and pick up more citations – while collaborators of the ‘star’ researcher tended to fade in prominence.
