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The Forum > Article Comments > Imagine government funding science! > Comments

Imagine government funding science! : Comments

By Rafe Champion, published 18/9/2013

It turned out that the schools of philosophy, the queen of the sciences, were captured during last century of the Second Millenium by waves of anti-intellectual fads and fashions.

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I agree that a more efficient method of distributing money to worthwhile scientific causes would be wonderful, but I'm not sure what the best way to decide where the funding should go. The current peer-review system definitely has it's flaws, but I am unaware of a better system. What do you suggest?

P.S. Thank you for suggesting I should receive a pay rise to receive "a normal public service wage". I really believe that the general public are unaware of both the low salaries scientists receive, and how we actually get the money that is our salary.

For example, unlike many people, I do not receive a salary from my employer. I have to apply for grants and fellowships from industry, private foundations and government who agree to pay me a wage to perform the studies I propose. In addition, to actually purchase the reagents/equipment I need to perform the studies I have to apply for additional grants. These grants all go through a competitive peer review process, which are currently being funded at 5-10%. These grants last 2-5 years, after which further grants are applied for. Currently, unless you pay for your own salary, and bring your own research grants into the institution, you are out of a job. Personally, I would like to think my field of medical research would benefit if we redistributed money from arts/social studies etc, however in reality, cuts are usually applied across the board, and honestly if that 5-10% becomes 1-5% it would simply be impossible to maintain a career in research.

On the topic of general science funding, one of the problems I am seeing lately, is a strong push by governments to fund translational research. This is not necessarily a bad thing for me personally, and I completely understand the need for governments to be able to say "look we funded this lab, and now they produced drug X for the population".

Continued..
Posted by Stezza, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 10:41:00 PM
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However the problem is that successful research that is ready to be taken from the laboratory into the clinic (or market) is usually already funded by industry. So the government is now replacing funding usually provided by industry, at the expense of spending that money in basic science research.

The problem governments and the general public have with basic science research, is that it is:
1) very inefficient, many research directions do not work out
2) not very "sexy" sometimes researching things that are difficult to comprehend the future impacts
3) governments cannot make the link between "funding $$$ and drug X"

So what seems to be happening is that all of the research that has successfully navigated the difficult and costly "basic research" stages and appears to be successful are getting a funding boost in search of immediate results. On the other hand, that same basic research that was essential for these projects in the first place is not being performed. This means that in the future, "translational research" that governments and industry are so eager to fund will not be around. An analogy would be cutting primary school funding to provide a funding boost to the smartest people at the end of high school.
Posted by Stezza, Wednesday, 18 September 2013 10:41:16 PM
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Eric Blair was of course George Orwell's given name.
Rafe is a strange character. On the one hand he rails against the stifling orthodox of the dominant academic group-think, yet on the other hand, via his association with Catallaxy, the CIS, IPA and Quadrant he is very much involved in the championing (sic) of the reductionist world-wide group-tink that mis-informs every aspect of Western "culture".
Speaking of people who attempted to deconstruct the then and now dominant paradigm of scientism, or who in the case of Wittgenstein attempted to answer the question of "what is knowledge" and the limits of Western knowledge in paticular and some thinkers who Orwell would have dismissed as sandal-wearing cranks too, I find these various thinkers (and artists) quite persuasive.
William Blake was one of the first to question the new form of scientific "knowledge" that was emerging in his time. He gave some deeply prophetic warnings/descriptions of its devastating cultural consequences.
Edgar Alan Poe was quite hip to the dismal limits of the then dominant paradigm. His 1848 prose-poem-essay Eureka is quite insightful- even radically so.
Then of course there was Charles Lutwidge Dodson who disappeared down the Rabbit Hole or Stepped Through the Looking Glass.
Various artists also did the same thing http://www.artandphysics.com
Plus:
http://fredalanwolf.com
http://www.amitgoswami.org
http://ervinlaszlo.com
http://fritjofcapra.net
http://www.tiller.org
http://www.brucelipton.com
Plus these sandal-wearers
http://johndavidson.org/ScienceandMysticism.html
http://www.sheldrake.org
Plus Finley Eversole via Infinite Energy Technologies - Eversole also wrote the superb Art and Spiritual Transformation
Posted by Daffy Duck, Thursday, 19 September 2013 11:39:10 AM
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Then of course there is also the work of this unique "Philosopher" and Artist who thoroughly examined every proposition ever made about the nature of Reality in all times and places, especially those of Western man because Western man now rules the entire world.
Two early books were:
Scientific Proof of the Existence of God Will Soon Be Announced by the White House! and The Transmission of Doubt.
This spontaneously given talk is featured in both books
http://www.aboutadidam.org/readings/asana_of_science/index.html
There was also a magazine titled The Laughing Man, the purpose of which was to counter the baneful influence of scientism and the religious provincialism of Westerners (in particular)
These references on science and the hunter-gatherer nature of Western man (in particular)
http://www.adidam.org/teaching/aletheon/truth-science
http://global.adidam.org/media/science
http://www.dabase.org/Reality_Itself_Is_Not_In_The_Middle.htm
Plus a reference which pays homage to Wittgenstein's investigations but goes much much further than Wittgenstein, or any Western philosopher old or "new" could even begin to imagine.
http://www.beezone.com/whiteandorangeproject/index.html
A reference which addresses the limitations of Western philosophy (in particular) whether old or "new".
http://www.adidaupclose.org/FAQs/postmodernism2.html
Posted by Daffy Duck, Thursday, 19 September 2013 12:19:09 PM
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thank you..god will provide
if its..needed..important to the world
god will fund it[its a long story[..but im offering to talk about it]

the first people of the land..
have their own*..money system..i just need explain it
went to court in canberra to prove it..but the first people..need to claim it*

then we will use it
people support it simply by banking..with..*our [AB_orignal..commonwealth bank..backed by..the invader*

ANYHOW
hi mary..G
re a comment..your guest made..re our own govt

i write you regarding....PAYING FOR IT*

/re..our own money..

[my name.is johan]

in 2002..i got speared.in front..of ol/parle'ment house...
trying to deliver..the people our money*.

.[it works on..the promise to pay
by ouir own notes..promise..is made in pounds..or per seed
the promise uponthe notes..is of satated weight..DELIVERABLE..instantly..in real seed.]

wikiseed/wikigeld..was what it was called
basically we..[the people vote who..gets our cash]
its that simple..[numbers =credit]

[50%..is issued for womans business
as determined At WOMANS CIRCLES
FOOD HOME HEARTH

plus [50%] for mens
SPIRIT LEARNING DREAMING

or as the circles decide

we issue it as/when needed
[globally]

its based on what invader money USED to be
promisary notes..promising an assured value..a sure product..

[contracted goods]..plus a market
locally..for local development

[gifted to elders via elder circles..
who deem it
as THE only legal tender ...where ever WE saY*

promise to pay.. off in pounds]..
just..like invader money..USED..to be
[one pound sterling..was A PROMISE..that the common wealth bank..would give DELIVER..one pound..WEIHT..[of silver]..

ps [i..under-write the delivery of the seed*.
.[yearly on invasion day]..at tent embassy

govt already knows*
but been waiting for us to DEMAND it!
how can we let..people KNOW..we got our own cash*
Posted by one under god, Friday, 20 September 2013 4:56:49 PM
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anyhow..presently
im..wading though..the reaction..to..my surrendered[wikiseed/wikigeld][tree of life]..seeds

..<<*see..Table/3.1...Summary..of the state..of origin
and nature..of Cannabis sativa/samples..used in this study...>>

this..*is my seeds...
<<..4 Growing conditions/nknown
(subsequently..denoted by..‘?’)
<<...5 Cultivar type..uncertain>>

<<ie ..13 samples..
of..germinated seed..[from/one source]>>me
[on behalf of..all of u]

notes..extracted from
http://www.ndlerf.gov.au/pub/Monograph_29.pdf

<<While..Cannabis/sativa=..
has many industrial..and therapeutic uses,>>

yes..over 30,000..products alone
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15949/1/John_Jiggens_Thesis.pdf

[a..bit better..that..the 12
mentioned..in..revelations.22;2

rev<<.22.2.....and on..either side..of the river,
was..the tree of life,*which bore..twelve fruits,..each tree..yielding its frui.. every month.>>*

get it..who would..(*ever..
have 'believed'..30,000 plus..fruits]

but wait..there is..ONE more*
22.2,,<<..The leaves*..of the..[MONEY*]..tree..
are,,for the healing of..the nations.>>

that/is where..i got
the idea..from..[leaves=leavings=money]

[but..went one better..
THE..SOVEREIGN/promise..of *living seeds
plus authentication..to grow..your own..*delivery..
[of the promised pounds shillings pence..weight..inseed]..as promised on*..the promissory note*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promissory_note
<<...A promissory note..is a legal instrument
(more particularly,..a financial instrument),..in which one party (the maker or issuer) promises..in writing to pay..>>

ie the seeds..deliverable..AS PROMISED
plus licensed/lawfull ability to deliver..[by gods will]

[me]..listening
to..my loki within loci

further..the..13 unkown..
on the graph..[3.1]..lol..[=me again]

the loci..thing=me..13[ignore karmic blow back]..thats loki

this..is from..
the..GOVT*..research paper

<<..Additionally,..all of..
the 13 samples..of unknown C. sativa type..(Set 2)
included in this study..had unique genotypes...>>..

<<..As these samples..originated..from individual germinated seeds,..this outcome..was not entirely unexpected..>>..mine/ours

yeah..i told..the judge so..years earlier
plus..his judgment..[50 dollar fine..not 3 months jail..i got in qld..for same quantities

thu.. a point of law
where..state law's..are in divergence ..
that nullifies..state law..as no fed law..was egsistant]

drug laws=un-constitutional..
[oh right so..employees of/state..cant comment..[got it]

anyhow the judge..[in Act],,,concluded..by WISHING ME LUCK*
he knew..what i tried to do..for all of you*..

but back
to govt/link..quote

<<In conclusion,..we have achieved..our objectives
to establish..the accuracy..and reliability of this..technology through developmental validation,..and compiled a genetic database for a substantial..number of..C. sativa samples..>>.

..<<,,The next step..in the implementation
of C. sativa DNA typing can now..be handed to..established forensic laboratories...

<<>.*The final step..will be realized..when this technology
is evaluated..in the courtroom...>>....

dun/and done*
yes..im..insane
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=15257&page=0
http://www.celestinevision.com/celestine/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15031#15031
Posted by one under god, Monday, 23 September 2013 8:32:45 AM
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