[jondubois]

It doesn't matter if there are no strings attached. As a scientist (and particularly, as a human being), you would feel some degree of gratefulness for the grant that Google gave you - This is enough to bias the research at least a tiny little bit... If only a couple of extra friendly words in the conclusion or executive summary.

After many years of stacking up those "almost perfect" bricks, the tower starts to lean to one side just a little.