Obviously originality in physics is age related, but that is just a side
effect when it comes to the gate keepers being tiresomely set in their ways.
The reason for that is explained by Jerry Pournelle's iron law.
Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic
organization there will be two kinds of people:
"First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the
organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an
educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians
and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors
in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.
Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself.
Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many
professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA
headquarters staff, etc.
The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and
keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control
promotions within the organization."
So over time you will end up with people blocking new ideas and yes they
will be old, but only because it has taken time for them to reach that
position of power as a gatekeeper.It doesn't follow that old people in
general will be that way.I will be eighty in a few months and was an
early supporter of LENR and tireless advocate -- mainly to people who
won't listen.It is most unlikely I will come up with the theory that
explains LENR although I might have if I were still in my 20s when I was
inventive by nature.
