I've long cherished a dream of seeing an organization made up entirely of scientists, that perpetuates itself through monetizing its research and development. It would hire out its members to positions within corporations or governments (rather like IBM consultants), and thus could (finally!) allow scientists to achieve parity with other highly paid - but far less VALUABLE - jobs.
I can imagine all kinds of accompanying benefits: a boost in the take up of scientific subjects in colleges and universities; talent that flourishes in an environment free of corporate profiteering; &c.
Philanthropy would be the only way to properly bootstrap this kind of 'startup'. But ultimately it could be civilization-changing!
My dad worked at SRI for nearly 30 years, and I think in many ways for him it was a dream job. The variety and freedom to immerse yourself in a totally different topic every six months to a year was something he really loved. But, I also know working there was quite stressful because there was not much job security. He had to always keep an eye on the hopper to ensure that once he finished his current contract that there would be another project for him to work on or there was a good chance he would lose his job.
I can imagine all kinds of accompanying benefits: a boost in the take up of scientific subjects in colleges and universities; talent that flourishes in an environment free of corporate profiteering; &c.
Philanthropy would be the only way to properly bootstrap this kind of 'startup'. But ultimately it could be civilization-changing!