Randy writes:
> Basic research often has no immediate commercial return, but the knowledge gained is often to great benefit to the industry as a whole.

This is a fundamental concept of research. We frequently don't know what, if anything, we will learn by pursuing a line of thinking. If you already know the outcome, why would you being doing the experiment? 

There is a profound antagonism between creative types and those who want to make money any way they can. Some are keen to exploit creativity, often at the expense of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. 

Conversely, people with great ideas often cannot get financed, based upon preconceived notions of what constitutes great ideas. Fortunately, there are risk takers in the world. Otherwise, we would never advance.

PLB

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