Einstein is really a great example for when your past success does not translate to future endeavors and I even considered mentioning him in another comment. I

Einstein is really a great example for when your past success does not translate to future endeavors and I even considered mentioning him in another comment. I know a few institutions where exploring and playing is a standard procedure, however they aren't many. And even this has a limit because science is expensive. So you need a way to know which silly ideas to pursue and how to best utilize your resources and budget.