From patrons to protocols: reclaiming the soul of scientific progress in an age of inequality, institutional drift, and artificial intelligence.The Paradox of Abundance and ApathyWe live in an era of staggering wealth. Trillions flow through global finance. Stock markets swell, private equity dominates, and sovereign funds shape geopolitics in real time. And yet, the things that truly matter — that make life safer, deeper, more resilient — remain underfunded or ignored. Science stagnates. Eco...