To many scientists care more about their careers having big paydays than they do science, so they line up to work on what ever pays the best, regardless of why the money is being handed out. Bret and Heather talk about this when they say that Science has been corrupted by market forces, that market ideology is being used to decide what science works on when it has no place here. Furthermore everyone had to understand that this was a bad idea, not enough cared.
Once they know what is wanted in return for their pay and esteem they tend to try to provide it, so that they can get more of that.
"Science" has all to often become quackery, very dishonest, the opposite of truth as science is.