longevity-2
Explanation
This comic uses a parent-child Q&A format to draw a parallel between trees and scientists. A child asks why trees live so long, and the mother explains "selection pressure" -- trees can succeed by outlasting competing trees, waiting for rivals to die or fall over, so natural selection favors longevity in trees.
Several generations later, a child asks the same question about scientists: "Why do scientists live so long?" The answer is the same: "Selection pressure." The implication is that the academic system functions like a forest -- scientists succeed not necessarily by being the most brilliant, but by simply outlasting their competitors. Tenure, seniority, and career advancement in academia reward persistence and survival rather than raw talent.
The comic satirizes the academic career structure, where longevity and persistence are often more important than innovation, drawing an amusingly apt comparison between the slow competitive dynamics of a forest and the slow grind of academic careers.