The standard view is that without public support via state subsidised universities and other organs of research there would be much less of this work. In other words, it is held to be a classic public good. However, an alternative view can be taken; namely, that the public is frightened of private knowledge, just as the public, by which I mean each individual member of that public, fears the power and success of every other member. In such a situation the attractiveness of university supported research is that it prevents knowledge falling into private hands. In other words, those who invoke the 'crowding-out' effect as a persuasive argument against public funding of science are being psychologically naive. The crowding-out of private knowledge construction is regarded as a benefit rather than a disadvantage; indeed, it is the whole point of public support for scientific research.