> Shouldn't crazy stuff be exactly why we fund tenured positions?

Crazy stuff becomes an option after one is granted tenure, it doesn't necessarily make one more likely to achieve tenure. On the other hand, theoretical physicists aren't very expensive -- they only need a blackboard and an eraser. Compare that to a philosopher -- much the same but without the eraser.

Badah dum tish!

Classic, textbook example of lifeisgood-oceanswave syndrome.

I think you misunderstand. Tenure is usually granted to people with a (sometimes minor) track record of their ideas working out. Essentially it amounts to a bet on things to come, or IOW of "is person X a crank or not?". This, of course, is also tied to the field in which they are working, etc.

(Sure, some good researchers turn into cranks later in life[1], but usually in a different -- often unrelated -- field.)

[1] Nobel prize winners often succumb to this, sadly.

Seems like having the preeminent researchers in a field be the ones to do the weirdest research while teaching students on the foundations and established research is a pretty solid decision.

I guess you're referring to Brian Josephson, who went from superconductors (Nobel prize) to things like telepathy etc. but I'm interested if there are other examples. A quick search turns up Kary Mullis as a possible other example, but I don't know too much about him, and it's a difficult topic to research.

Linus Pauling (two Nobel prizes!) jumps to mind with his Vitamin C work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling#Medical_research...