... when they could be working on real problems.<p>What constitutes a real problem is not as absolute and self-evident as you seem to think. There are any number of science stories in which a seemingly impractical pursuit led to something valuable in the long term. That&#x27;s in the nature of science, which has always cost less than the budget allotments for &quot;real problems&quot; like defense, entitlements and grain subsidies.