"Almost all of the major advances of civilization have been because of private individuals creatively solving a personal problem or looking to make a buck."

Like space flight?
Like nuclear power?
Like the jet engine and the rocket engine?
The Internet?
Cryptography?
Canned food?
Smelting iron or bronze?

There are motives other than profit and organizations other than privately funded corporations and basement laboratories that can also muster vision, talent, resources, planning, and execution.

Entrepreneurs have developed many important advances, but ignoring major advances in science due to government (including military) development is willful ignorance to support a simplistic ideology. I will point out that you posted using power-lines and telecommunications lines that work great, but were installed universally (rather than where profitable) due to government intervention. You probably drove on serviceable roads today without being attacked by bandits, too. Somalia is beautiful this time of year and they have just the kind of non-interventionist government you appear to favor; perhaps you should consider a visit?

"I am not a climate scientist, but I believe that if I don't understand no one else possibly could," would have been a sufficient answer.

/thread