X-Message-Number: 28038
References: <>
From: David Stodolsky <>
Subject: Re: [CN] #28030 Regarding the 'Singularity'
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 18:38:48 +0200

On 14 Jun 2006, at 13:07, John de Rivaz wrote:

> I do wonder whether commercial capitalism is the best possible  
> method of
> setting the sequence of scientific research.

In the drug discovery area this has had bad effects. Most new drugs  
are no better than old ones, but are promoted because companies can  
make money on them due to intellectual property laws. In some cases,  
university researchers have been run out of their jobs, because they  
released unfavorable results on new drugs. Drug companies have also  
withheld negative results from there own studies due to commercial  
interests.

Drug companies also promote 'new' diseases to create markets for  
their drugs.

It appears that  the high prices of drugs has contributed to the  
spread of HIV.

Overuse of drugs, promoted by the companies, is also responsible for  
an increase in multi-drug resistant microbes.


dss


David Stodolsky    Skype: davidstodolsky

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