I think, its a artificial status symbol for universitys- if you cant afford it - you are not really a scientistic institution. Like all statussymbols, it could

I think, its a artificial status symbol for universitys- if you cant afford it - you are not really a scientistic institution. Like all statussymbols, it could easily be replaced with something more pragmatic - and will never be, because ironically - in something as meritocratic as the sciences, the caste longs for the aristocratic.