I think another part of it is the difference in research funding philosophy at Xerox PARC in the 1970s compared to the funding philosophy of most companies and government agencies in the past 20-30 years. Xerox PARC researchers had the rare opportunity to pursue their research interests and not have to worry much about funding, not only for their salaries, but also for the equipment that they needed. In the early years of Xerox PARC researchers didn’t have to constantly justify their work to company executives. It’s amazing what researchers can do with a vision, cash, and little external pressure.

Today such a research environment exists only in our dreams, short of winning a MacArthur Fellowship. Most researchers today work in environments where their direction is heavily influenced by the people funding them. In order for researchers to pursue their own research vision and be paid for it, they must persuade a company or a funding agency that the pursuit of this vision will benefit the funders. Researchers also must justify their research activities and constantly produce deliverables such as patents, publications, and prototypes in order for their performance to be assessed by their funders.

While this more directed form of research has also definitely led to many innovations, the trouble is that only the research that fits the visions of those funding the work gets funded and thus proceeds. However, what about research ideas that don’t meet the interests of companies or government funding agencies? This is one of the reasons why we need to promote curiosity-driven research; society could be missing out on future revolutions in science and technology if our imaginations are limited to what we can imagine today instead of letting exploration take its course.