I don't think it forces people to work harder, for me at least, it is a deterrent. As a master's student, I am not willing to get into the rat race that is academia with other people dictating what I should do research in because that is the current hot topic. I would rather work and do research in my own time on topics that I like at the pace that I dictate.
I should note that I am able to follow that approach because my areas of interest do not require lab equipment besides a workstation and notepads to scribble things on, my research is in ML and it won't yield anything remotely as ground breaking as Dr. Karikó's.
I should note that I am able to follow that approach because my areas of interest do not require lab equipment besides a workstation and notepads to scribble things on, my research is in ML and it won't yield anything remotely as ground breaking as Dr. Karikó's.