I don't think it is a fluke, it was just a tactic to extract a guaranteed baseline real value from intellectuals where they could jump from research project to

I don't think it is a fluke, it was just a tactic to extract a guaranteed baseline real value from intellectuals where they could jump from research project to research project for years without a return. Which is perhaps the greatest bane of capitalism - that which has poor returns in the immediate time frame is always passed over for instant results. It hurts our long run dearly to be so inefficient.