What does a young researcher need at the beginning of a career? ...freedom to experiment, freedom to try new directions, freedom to make mistakes, freedom to think without distraction. - John Wheeler, Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam.
Definitely need to pull in some quotes from Wheeler's Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foamuantum Foam]], his work with Niels Bohr, and Werner Heisenberg, and Gregory Breit are great examples of the benefits of scientific freedom.