Do “curious” people want to learn the (already discovered) truth or to discover heretofore unknown truths? You seem to confound the two. Data on the statistical correlation between these distinct motives would be interesting, but I doubt most scientists are primarily concerned with personally accumulating true beliefs. Preparing to make contribution to human knowledge probably looks a lot different from preparing to absorb the greatest mass of truths. It probably also looks different from preparing to function rationally as far as go quotidian beliefs.
Do “curious” people want to learn the (already discovered) truth or to discover heretofore unknown truths? You seem to confound the two. Data on the statistical correlation between these distinct motives would be interesting, but I doubt most scientists are primarily concerned with personally accumulating true beliefs. Preparing to make contribution to human knowledge probably looks a lot different from preparing to absorb the greatest mass of truths. It probably also looks different from preparing to function rationally as far as go quotidian beliefs.