> Their discussions are largely of limitations, catalogues of failure. Their conclusions can be brutal.
pov: me writing my first published paper and being honest about the shortcomings and then having my advisor tell me that i should sell my results more enthusiastically.
This is all well and good but the author seems to still naively assume best and honest intentions. Sadly all kinds of people have all sorts of motivations for writing papers.
>Every year in June, I discover that the most self-critical scientists are final-year undergraduates
I'm in the middle of a PhD. It's kind of sad to say this but if I rediscover my inner final-year undergrad I'm pretty sure I'd have trouble graduating