disinterested science

[Chris Burford]

The British weekly magazine, New Scientist, has a sharp eyed editorial
department and not too directly, but fairly often has items that are
independent of corporate interest, or as in the case of their expose of
western monopolization of third world gene patents, are openly critical. I
suspect this is good for its circulation.

Of course universities have to serve the established class, but there are
contradictory undercurrents which repeatedly throw up scientists who
sympathise with higher ideals, and actually believe they ought to be possible!

Chris Burford

At 06:13 PM 7/27/98 -0700, you wrote:
>I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the fact that more and more,
>science has been corporatized, with scientists hewing the corporate line
>and sworn to secrecy.  I had a section discussing this trend in my new
>book, Class Warfare in the Information Age (St. Martin's 1998).
>
>I am now looking through Krimsky, Sheldon. 1996. "Financial Interests of
>Authors in Scientific Journals: A Pilot Study of 14 Publications." Science
>and Engineering Ethics, 2, pp. 395-410.
>
>Scarey stuff.  In any case, the idea of disinterested scientists searching
>for truth is becoming less and less reflective of reality.
>--
>Michael Perelman
>Economics Department
>California State University
>Chico, CA 95929
>
>Tel. 530-898-5321
>E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
>
>
>