Comments on: An Example of Academic Research Presented as A Path to the Cure http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/2009/11/09/an-example-of-academic-research-presented-as-a-path-to-the-cure/ A site dedicated to solving diabetes. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:09:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: JP Marat http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/2009/11/09/an-example-of-academic-research-presented-as-a-path-to-the-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-362 JP Marat Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:49:44 +0000 http://www.solvingdiabetes.org/?p=611#comment-362 This reminds me of problems encountered during the research leading to the development of the atomic bomb. The most talented scientist in the research group, Dr. Edward Teller, refused to work on the atomic bomb -- the only device which could be developed in time to help the war effort -- because he did not find it as interesting as the more intellectually elegant problem of developing a hydrogen bomb. Only with someone like General Grove to discipline and focus the research efforts of many different scientists was progress possible. But when you combine the impractical curiosity of research scientists with the artificial demand for scientific publications created by the 'publish or perish' practise in academia, with the need of junior researchers to earn a doctoral degree by getting at least something published of whatever quality, with the eagerness of corporations to pacify investors with apparent progress, and with the willingness of charitable funds to misspend their money to generate any results which will placate scientifically naive donors, you produce the present toxic mix that kills medical progress. This reminds me of problems encountered during the research leading to the development of the atomic bomb. The most talented scientist in the research group, Dr. Edward Teller, refused to work on the atomic bomb — the only device which could be developed in time to help the war effort — because he did not find it as interesting as the more intellectually elegant problem of developing a hydrogen bomb. Only with someone like General Grove to discipline and focus the research efforts of many different scientists was progress possible.

But when you combine the impractical curiosity of research scientists with the artificial demand for scientific publications created by the ‘publish or perish’ practise in academia, with the need of junior researchers to earn a doctoral degree by getting at least something published of whatever quality, with the eagerness of corporations to pacify investors with apparent progress, and with the willingness of charitable funds to misspend their money to generate any results which will placate scientifically naive donors, you produce the present toxic mix that kills medical progress.

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