That's because, unlike physical science and engineering disciplines, the application of discoveries in computer science (i.e. software engineering) is done in the context of an ultra-competitive popularity-contest culture, mixed with a strong strain of loner-nerd-hacking-the-gibson worship.
I came to software development from the physical sciences (university level academic and theoretical as well as applied/engineering). To me the differences were abundant and, frankly, shocking. For a discipline that fancies itself one of the more intellectual, there seems to be an awful lot of petty one-upsmanship and "john galt genius" idiocy at work.
Google could fart now and the internet will still cry roses.
The same research/algorithms/software produced by an independent individual or lab would simply die in obscurity.