> Academia has little scientific agenda at its core—most things boil down to money.
It's like you're right, but completely wrong at the same time... At it's core, scientific research should not have an agenda. Researchers are normally happy to do important things and they have good ideas.
Yes, the funding is a really big issue and lack of needed followups to interesting results of the initial sponsor often happens when the sponsor is not involved anymore. Researchers essentially either have to work for someone or come up with topics and then beg potentially-interested people for money. (aka research grants)
Academia being driven by money has less to do with academia and more with lack of money it needs to work on independent research.
It's like you're right, but completely wrong at the same time... At it's core, scientific research should not have an agenda. Researchers are normally happy to do important things and they have good ideas.
Yes, the funding is a really big issue and lack of needed followups to interesting results of the initial sponsor often happens when the sponsor is not involved anymore. Researchers essentially either have to work for someone or come up with topics and then beg potentially-interested people for money. (aka research grants)
Academia being driven by money has less to do with academia and more with lack of money it needs to work on independent research.