http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/2009/09/28/randys-method-of-discovery/ A site dedicated to solving diabetes. Sat, 14 Aug 2010 23:12:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/2009/09/28/randys-method-of-discovery/comment-page-1/#comment-255 JP Marat Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:16:54 +0000 http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/?p=552#comment-255 I agree with your solution-oriented approach. When Bayer developed aspirin to treat inflammation and headaches in 1879, there was absolutely no basic research demonstrating how it worked, but only empirical and epidemiological evidence that it would have this effect at non-toxic levels. Only a century later did the first explanations emerge for why it worked as it did. Today the general approach is to pour billions of dollars and decades of research effort into studying the basic science of diseases in the hopes that a cure for them will become apparent as a side-effect, but unfortunately, as is abundantly evident in cancer research, vast amounts of basic science data can be collected with little or no corresponding gains in clinical treatment outcomes. Perhaps a more functional approach, just looking for what works whether we understand why it works or not, would prove more useful, especially given the slowing of medical progress over the past half century. I agree with your solution-oriented approach. When Bayer developed aspirin to treat inflammation and headaches in 1879, there was absolutely no basic research demonstrating how it worked, but only empirical and epidemiological evidence that it would have this effect at non-toxic levels. Only a century later did the first explanations emerge for why it worked as it did. Today the general approach is to pour billions of dollars and decades of research effort into studying the basic science of diseases in the hopes that a cure for them will become apparent as a side-effect, but unfortunately, as is abundantly evident in cancer research, vast amounts of basic science data can be collected with little or no corresponding gains in clinical treatment outcomes. Perhaps a more functional approach, just looking for what works whether we understand why it works or not, would prove more useful, especially given the slowing of medical progress over the past half century.

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