Glory
Even if you never make the cover of Time, there's glory in simply working to advance the human database of scientific knowledge forward, even if only by a scoche. If you happen upon some bit of fabulously important knowledge that had previously eluded us, you may even move us forward a scoche and a half. In the science world, that's a lot.
As a scientist, you can find glory in opening up our collective minds. Just sew them back up when you're done, please.