Gentlemen scientists tended to be free of the responsibilities of the common man. The vibe of the Royal Society was a bunch of stuck up nobility debating worthless issues. There is a vain of thought that says science was promoted during the enlightenment precisely because it distracted the nobility from aspiring for social change. Voltaire in Candide mocked this with a debate, if I recall on sheep color.
I'm sorry but your characterisation of the issues as being worthless seems to be entirely missing the point of intellectual thought. It is very difficult to predict what is fruitful and what is not when we are unsure of the destination.
