Is for-profit funding of research unethical?
I had a conversation today with a very bright individual just about to complete his PHD in computer science — he has inspired me to ask this important question. I was quite surprised to hear him describe his philosophical opposition to private funding for research. I couldn’t believe it. Ever? Is this common? UFC cash cow
For the uninitiated, UFC stands for Ultimate Fighting Championship, technically the sport is called mixed martial arts or simply MMA. Years ago it was criticized for being what some considered human cock fighting — there were no weight classes, no rounds and no rules. Competitors got in the octagon shaped cage and fought until one fighter either quit or stopped fighting back. The sport was banned in many states. Global warming revisionism
If the data supports a belief in human induced global warming, then nobody should be afraid to discuss the views held by many dissenters. Personally, I’m sitting on the fence. I have noticed in my own hometown a gradual increase in winter temperatures, but that in itself does not prove a correlation with human activity. I admit I have not read the scientific papers… I should probably do that. Anyhow, the following is a summary of the opposing perspective. The savior of western civilization?
Expect to hear a lot about “sovereign funds” in the near future The financial industry is on the verge of collapse. Losses from sub-prime loans could exceed the entire American banking industry’s capital base. With such a terrifying prospect looming on the horizon, it’s no surprise bankers have their eyes on the world’s last pot of gold — sovereign wealth funds. The MSM just doesn’t get it
Ron Paul is excluded from the next FOX news debate. Everyone is disgusted with both party establishments and this only serves to remind us why. Of course we would rather Ron Paul be on stage, but what FOX news doesn’t understand is that a major part of his appeal is his ability to make the Republican establishment feel pain and humility. The more they play to Ron Paul’s outsider image the more he appears to be the only guy capable of truly significant changes and the more his appeal will ultimately grow. SCO delisted from NASDAQ
All linux supporters should be quite enthralled with this news. SCO is of course the company (with Microsoft funding) that first claimed ownership over many parts of the open source operating system, but famously refused to indicate exactly which parts. They recently declared chapter 11 bankruptcy, and as a result will be removed from the NASDAQ exchange effective Dec 27. Read the news release here, read about their history here. CNBC Marc Faber interview
Here is a somewhat dated but still relevant interview with everybody’s favorite bear. Chrysler is operationally bankrupt
Is this announcement foreshadowing a terrible 2008? Chrysler was sold to private equity firm Cerberus just 4 months ago for a fraction of what Daimler acquired it for several years earlier. The company has a few popular products but was an overall perennial loser for the German automaker. It seems that under the new private ownership, nothing has yet changed. CNN is reporting that Chrysler, according to its CEO, is operationally bankrupt. Apple: smart products, stupid business
Let me first issue the following disclaimer: I am not an Apple user. I used to have an old Apple SE 30 many years ago, but since then I have never owned any apple products. I don’t own an IPhone. I don’t own an IPod. I have never purchased music from the ITunes music store. You get the picture. |
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