The academic evolution is REAL, folks! Back in ye olden days, scholars were absolute units who casually revolutionized multiple fields before breakfast. "Oh, I just invented calculus while thinking about apples. NBD." Meanwhile, modern academics are hyper-specialized creatures defending tiny research territories like it's the last crumb at a conference buffet. "Please don't ask me about wheat prices in 1877—that's outside my scope!" The narrowing of expertise isn't just a trend—it's practically a survival mechanism in today's publish-or-perish academic thunderdome! The confidence-to-knowledge ratio has completely flipped, and honestly? It's hilariously tragic.