Alex, you can try to justify it any way you please, colleges always get their money for research one way or the other. Whoever gives money decides (usually) what is needed and what is not for the good of the giver...
However, it does not have to be through our taxes and in size of the ten thousand elephants. When it is everybody's (i. e. ours) - it means nobody is responsible.
Waste!!!!

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Global Cooling for the next 30 years!!! - Does not expire!!!