Many people sometimes think that money spent on science is wasted. In truth, it fosters an environment which becomes a hotbed of ideas. Case in point is how three of the scientists working on the LHC founded Cloudant after realizing that their NoSQL database used for collaboration amongst scientists could also be used in the business world.
http://www.businessinsider.com/god-particle-led-to-startup-cloudant-2012-12
