> work which burns through money repeating things we already know (racism is bad! poor people are sicker!) and accomplishing exactly nothing

Why do we need to study the sun? We already know it goes around the Earth.

Flippant, but the point should be clear. Some of the most taken for granted things can also be the ones least studied... And least understood. Wouldn't you like to know why being poor leads to worse outcomes? Perhaps confounding factors?