Overview

As late as the nineteenth century, many scientists pursued their field of work as a side occupation to a more financially reliable profession. During this time universities were the main centers of scientific research, with scientific "societies" fueling the exchange of knowledge across academic and geographic borders. By the late 1800s, however, as scientific knowledge grew at an incredible pace, scientists were turning more to governments and private philanthropists to fund their progress and support their dedication to a specialized field of study. Science and scientists entered the twentieth century divided into specialties, influenced by fast-paced innovation, and driven by an intense focus on research. In many cases, the kind of institution—private industrial, militaristic, or medical—that supported a field of research dictated or restricted the path of that specialty. Today's scientific research community grew from...