The discussion centers on the top 100 most-cited research papers as explored by Nature. Notable breakthroughs such as high-temperature superconductors, DNA's double-helix structure, and the acceleration of the Universe's expansion are highlighted, yet none of their corresponding papers rank among the top 100. This indicates a significant gap between groundbreaking discoveries and their citation impact. The importance of white papers in academic and research contexts is also acknowledged, emphasizing their role in disseminating influential information.
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The discovery of high-temperature superconductors, the determination of DNA’s double-helix structure, the first observations that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating — all of these breakthroughs won Nobel prizes and international acclaim. Yet none of the papers that announced them comes anywhere close to ranking among the 100 most highly cited papers of all time.