Even though it is clear that the inventions ans ideas at the Academy of Lagado will not work why do the Projectors continually hope and believe they eventually will?

They seem to believe that the thought processes that they go through are revolutionary and will, when they work out, save the world. These are examples of people who live in the Ivory Tower of learning who have no practical thoughts of their own. They do not understand how to bring theory and usefulness together.

Swift is satirizing pointless experiments funded by a bloated and out of touch bureaucracy. Projectors and their ridiculous experiments serve no useful purpose yet their identity, jobs and social stature hinge on getting something right one day.