As with the interstellar travel wait calculation, we might be nearing a time when investing in non-AI scientific projects could prove suboptimal given the leapfrogging potential of evolving intelligence. Existing state-of-the-art technology research could be similarly made obsolete by an upcoming paradigm shift or accelerated progress. To avoid over-specialisation and reduce the risk of having a lost decade for people working in other research areas, we would have to balance the objective drive towards optimal progression and the human need for scientific fulfilment and innovation.