The only way out from this rat race I can see is to re-create a safe space. When you are no longer consumed by the worry that is career sustenance and growth, at least a subset of folks might choose to work on what they think is important. Signalling will never fully die of course, but perhaps we can dampen it.Its not a pure argument to reduce the number of hours worked, though that might be a result. Its a more holistic push to reduce the pressure to pursue short-term distractions to keep the red queen race going.This space has shrunk dramatically in the era of big science and is what we ought to bring back. The flip side of having moved decisively to a world where doers are the undisputed rulers is that we forgot how to create the conditions for thinkers to excel. Whether its the pressure to publish or perish or the increased competition from increased scrutiny, creating spaces to explore.As we have increasingly favoured the doer part of the spectrum over the past half century or more, we’ve pushed ourselves to do things ever bigger and grander. And our estimation of those who manage to do this is also greater, our modern geniuses. But in doing so we forget that the other end of the spectrum doesn’t function under the same pressures. It needs space and leisure to let ideas bloom, and for people to spend time in exploration. We need to find a way to give this space, with enough cachet and prestige that it encourages people to dream. To think!