On the one hand, I disagree with her, because I believe that 99.99% of people with purse string control are dumb a/f, and that "real work" will happen in the cloud of VC/Politician-stroking. That's the way it works. (And how much money did earlier scientists pump from kings in order to study transmutation?)

On the other hand, I agree with her, and it would be great if this didn't have to happen.

Should I be a purist or a realist?

I can't tell.