[andreasvc]

No they cannot do it for free otherwise. Research takes a lot of time, and if you're not getting money to do it you can't keep doing it (need to pay rent, food, etc). Perhaps you meant to say that the people in research would like to do that research regardless of the money it earns them; that seems true enough.

The funding cycles will also make the people not in it for the money tired, except for the ones that keep winning; it's a rat race regardless of your interest in cash. Most research is not about being "on the brink of discovering something [...]"; that is a romantic idea of research which is exceedingly rare.

[srdeveng]

I meant what I said. I believe a lot of researchers (in academia) would do it in their spare time, after hours, weekends, etc, even if it wasn't also their means for income. Their hobby and curiosities happen to align with a job that pays living wage.

Money in the bank is not the end goal for everyone. You can work a job to get paid so that one day you don't have to work anymore. Or, you can work a job that pays sufficiently and you'll happily do until your last days of life.

Lastly, most research is on the brink of discovering something. Whether or not there is a life changing impact (or application whatsoever) as a result of that discovery is another argument all together.