The Intellectual Entrepreneur

Another Bio article on salon.com, Craig Venter is the Future, more focused on the changing trends on how science is done:

"In the 20th century, the tenured professional supplanted the
independent gentleman scientist: James Watson succeeded Charles Darwin.
In the 21st century, the tenured professional is becoming outmoded,
replaced by the intellectual entrepreneur: The mantle is passing from
Watson to Venter."

In the end they conclude with a somewhat more comforting thought:

"In fact, Venter and his fellow intellectual entrepreneurs differ from
20th century tenured professionals most of all in their resemblance to
the researchers who the tenured professionals ostensibly eradicated:
19th century gentleman scientists, such as Darwin, who answered only to
themselves."

But although the tenure scientist is a different species to the "gentleman scientist" every professor I have met so far has a story that runs through all their research. I guess the fundmental difference is who they associate with.