Science and Grants (Introduction)

by xeno6696 , Sonoran Desert, Monday, December 21, 2009, 17:32 (5247 days ago) @ David Turell

Alright, humor me. What was the last scientific idea that was debunked due to money? 
> > > 
> > > We are going through it right now with the global warming. but more than that,and I only have supposition: the fraud committed with cold fusion. i'm sure it involved grants and tenure. 
> > 
> > Cold fusion was debunked because other scientists couldn't replicate the results; try again.
> 
> I know, but why did they do it? Tenure, fame, money? 
> -Right, but what my point is, is that disclosing financial information up front serves no good purpose UNTIL something fraudulent happens, and disclosing it up front serves to polarize a reader in advance. Many people I know in academia are biased against researchers who work for "for-profit" institutions; a classic rivalry. Forcing financial disclosure could also cause a chilling effect on contributions--at UNMC where I worked, there are several prominent area families that will only donate anonymously. Same goes for particular causes--people doing stem cell research might find that their funding dries up because people don't want to get death threats from abortion activists. -I think the present system works just fine; only time financials are pertinent is if there really IS fraud. -
> 
> Read the following review of a book. The system now involves huge amounts of grant money, tightly controlled peer review which can allow for incentuous relationships or even collusion. No, I don't have an exact example, but Google is full of entries under 'science fraud'. Human nature and love of money will obviously produce scoundrels:
> 
> http://omega.twoday.net/stories/394532/-I will once I get home.

--
\"Why is it, Master, that ascetics fight with ascetics?\"

\"It is, brahmin, because of attachment to views, adherence to views, fixation on views, addiction to views, obsession with views, holding firmly to views that ascetics fight with ascetics.\"