I challenge everyone posting on this thread to include their fields of scientific expertise, and how long they have been working in that field.
Me: physics and electrical engineering, > 30 years in industry.
IMO, the fellow who commented that the “low hanging fruit” had been taken is on the right track. The hundred years from 1870 to 1970, and all the discoveries made then, were historically very unusual. We should not be surprised to find the pace of “breakthrough” discovery slowing. All the “woke” crap and pseudoscience doesn’t help, but we still shouldn’t expect a historically unusual period to continue indefinitely.
And no, that doesn’t mean I think we’ve discovered everything and the patent office should be closed. The person upthread who asked about that should stop being absurd.
A very intelligent and helpful insight. Thank you. The onset of the scientific method led to a rapid discovery of many of the laws of nature that were most easily discoverable. That rate of discovery is unlikely unless a new type of method (akin to the scientific method), or a new type of means of discovering, is discovered. Of course, as you properly stated, the wokeness that has invaded science is also going to have a very deleterious effect.