ABSTRACT
Rooted in career challenges, competition between fellow scientists is real. While the benefits of such competition are repeatedly touted, too often the negative impacts of the “winner takes all” model are swept aside. Research might be duplicated, secrecy can take precedence over collaboration, and some scientists even burn out or become disenchanted with the entire process, dropping out of the field altogether. In a crisis, this competition can be exacerbated by the fog of war. When you’re in the heat of the moment—trying to make the next big breakthrough, or get a study published in Science before a rival—it can be easy to lose sight of what really matters.
