Funding certainly influences reports. I know many examples of how Australian scientists and professionals have been muzzled when exposing the truth or countering reports from their own organisations.
Scientists have been seriously reprimanded for expressing concerns about GM crops because institutes like CSIRO have invested in GM crops and have alliances with big investors of GM crops.
Agronomists have been reprimanded and their jobs threatened when they expose that the GM crops offered are not going to be of benefit to Australian farmers.
I have even been told by people willing to testify in court that the trials performed by GM companies have been manipulated to give false results (swathing done at the wrong time etc)
Health experts have been threatened and their institutes that employ them have their funding threatened because individuals have been outspoken.
I have even had death threats and public slander campaigns including a national ABC news clip quoting an agronomist claiming I and concerned farmers should be "wiped-from-the-face-of-the-earth.
Corporates and government institutes plan on making big money out of GM crops but the farmer and consumer takes the risk. Our crime is exposing the lies that we are being told about GM crops.

I find it disgusting when supposedly reputable organisations make outrageous statements that have no factual basis. An example is ABARE who claimed GM crop moratoria is preventing farmers increasing their income by billions of dollars - ABARE just multiplied the wheat, canola and barley industry by 5-10%. Most of this "benefit" involved wheat and there is no evidence that there would be an increase in yield as no country in the world (including US) want to grow it because of the market risk. The AWB policy explains that none of our pool customers want GM wheat. ABARE shouldn't be pushing out false reports just to support the GM industry and the Federal mandate to provide a path to market.

Thanks for the link Big Fish.

Dr Cribb doesn't say as much but I wonder as a former science journo if his comment about scientists 'stepping out of line and suffering the consequences' might refer to the threat of publication editors withdrawing a submission on the grounds that the paper's contents have been divulged. It has certainly happened to me where you have interviewed the scientist and the essentials of their submitted paper have been divulged: result learned journal fury. I've even had lawyers stepping in with all the threat that that entails. It's a good argument for scientists to have a confident precis of their paper for a general audience but it is surprising how infrequently that happens so you get into this argy bargy and lawyers at ten paces. And it is surprising how often the interviewee forgets about the taxpayer who has possibly funded their research (ARC/NHMRC grants) and the resentment when you remind them of such maudlin detail. But all this is a minor coalface problem against the writer's larger claims.

Keiran,

Without trying to hijack this debate and changing it into a debate on the "Big Bang" theory, there is a ton of evidence supporting an originating point of all matter, space and time in the Universe.

Firstly, Hubble's red-shift observations are repeated by uni students over and over. They demonstrate that appart from the very closest of galaxies, all galaxies are receeding from us at a predictable and uniform rate. Reverse this and you have a single point where everything (including space and time) converge.

Secondly, background "Heat" from the "Big Bang" can be measured (COBE and WMAP). See http://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/

The Alchemist also makes reference to other theories that are emerging, that whilst not removing the "Big Bang" go some way to explain it and raise even more questions. M-Theory, which explains Quantum effects and expands String-Theory requires 10 spacial dimensions, as well as Brane-Theroy which requires a special dimension. Move can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-theory. Enjoy the links.

Part II

Keiran,

To try to help you with the concept of nothing, let me state it to you. Nothing.

The traditional model of the "Big Bang" is a quantum effect happening in a total void (read-in Genesis is you must).

The idea of a vacuum, perfect or otherwise is meaningless. There was not even space for the vacuum to exist. No up, no down, no left or right. 3-Dimensional Space didn't exist. Neither did time. There is no such thing as "Before the Big Bang". Even the laws of physics didn't exist.

But can you get a free lunch? Simply yes. All around you, quantum particles are created and destroyed all the time. Actual energy is created and can be measured by this quantum activity. Hawkings refered to a number of different types, including heat radiation from black holes - not so black after all!

Speaking of Black Holes, it is all too probable that you live inside one. It is conjectured that because you can't escape our universe, and nothing can get in, that we may well be inside one.....

Chief Peacock - Heads CSIRO

Australia's newest addition to Head CSIRO has supported the use and endorsed GM technology and nuclear energy on his first day in the job.

Mr Pea cock has also acquired the position of part-time advisor to the Howard government on Science and Technology.

When queried by Karen Percy of the ABC over the accusation of the Green's, and the association between his beliefs in GM technology and Nuclear usage was too close to be advising our Government on the countries future relating to Science and Energy.

When Mr Pea cock was questioned directly on Global warming and did not make any concrete statement as his concrete conclusions to his research assurance into the safety of GM technology on human health and the use of Nuclear materials which has containment issues far reaching generations.

He was quoted as saying that there is some confusing data relating to Global warming and there was some interesting research being done into Global warming.

This promotion stinks for the Australian people. GM has already been proven to cause changes within the stomach walls of its recipients.

CSIRO themselves have done studies into the GM technology, one of them being closed down just as they were proving detrimental effect to the health of the lab rats.

Mr Pea cock said that he did not have any problems with being honest as a scientist who has been in the trade for 40 years.

This is because of his ideology toward GM technology and the large investment dollars that have gone into the technology of GM by large corporations. And so is Australia's Government interest to make "Uranium" an Australian family friend.

Don't be blind to influences that make "puppets" move