It’s also “why” research papers can’t have color pictures or tables of raw data — because they’re expensive to print.

Scientists internalised their limitations and treat these as virtues now.

Limited space in printing means you have to “get in”, and that exclusivity has a cachet. They also now advise each other that photos are “not real science” (too much color!) and raw data shouldn’t be published at all.

I was making a joke to highlight how inane this is in an era where I can keep every paper ever published on one hard drive.

The same people that complain about negative results or reproductions not getting published will defend these limitations to the death.