Are you really disputing the notion that it takes less conscientiousness (other terms: "self-discipline", "willpower") to work on projects of one's own choosing? That's actually almost the definition of "one's own choosing": what one does by default.

Less conscientiousness, certainly. I believe we do have a factual disagreement regarding how much is still required.

Like I suspected, we're talking past each other. Everything you say either pertains to the human occupation (and not just the act of coming up with good ideas, and maybe -- with minimal Conscientiousness -- writing them up in articles), or else is only the case because the system is set up in the suboptimal way it is.

I do wish the system (aka the universe) was set up a different way to what it is. For example if I had a team of catgirls with a 'research assistant skills and motivational inspiration' upgrade and a versatile fully stocked volcano-lair laboratory I'd be able to get heaps of research done. Well, after a few weeks when I got bored with the alternatives.