Academic publishing operates on a bizarre model where taxpayers fund research, then pay private companies to publish it, and finally pay again to read it. Scientists write papers for free, peer reviewers work without pay, and journals charge both authors and readers while universities cover costs through government grants.

This system emerged when physical journals required printing and mailing services that academics didn't want to handle. Publishers stepped in, creating a captive market where switching journals isn't feasible and 'high-impact' publications became essential for career advancement. Despite the internet making distribution nearly free, subscription costs have skyrocketed.

Commercial publishers like Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer Nature now generate massive profits—estimated at $2.5 billion annually in the US alone with 40% profit margins. Meanwhile, Alexandra Elbakyan's SciHub provides free access to millions of articles, revealing how broken the system has become. The solution is clear: eliminate for-profit scientific publishers entirely and redirect those billions back to actual research.