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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

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Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

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Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Thu May 01, 2025 01:37 | Richard Eldred
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Faux-Radicalism of Kneecap Wed Apr 30, 2025 19:00 | Andrew Doyle
Kneecap's vocal support for Hamas and call for fans to murder Tory MPs is obviously reprehensible. But it's just for show, says Andrew Doyle. The police shouldn't waste their time investigating rappers.
The post The Faux-Radicalism of Kneecap appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Green Party Continues to Persecute Me for My Belief That Men Can?t Become Women Wed Apr 30, 2025 17:00 | Shahrar Ali
Dr Shahrar Ali was the Green Party justice spokesman when he was removed over his gender critical views. He won an unlawful discrimination claim in 2024. But the party then ejected him! He's now taking it to court again.
The post The Green Party Continues to Persecute Me for My Belief That Men Can’t Become Women appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Royal Marine Says Standards are ?Being Lowered? for Female Trainees and He Was Treated Like a Terror... Wed Apr 30, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
A Royal Marine has gone public with his concerns that standards are being lowered for female trainees, claiming lives could be at risk and that he was treated like a terrorist for raising his worries.
The post Royal Marine Says Standards are “Being Lowered” for Female Trainees and He Was Treated Like a Terrorist for Raising Concerns appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Met Officer Cleared of Murdering Gangster Chris Kaba Faces Sack for ?Gross Misconduct? Wed Apr 30, 2025 13:00 | Will Jones
Sgt Martyn Blake, the armed Metropolitan police officer who was cleared of murdering violent gangster Chris Kaba, now faces a gross misconduct disciplinary over the shooting and could be sacked.
The post Met Officer Cleared of Murdering Gangster Chris Kaba Faces Sack for “Gross Misconduct” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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Commercial Science

category international | sci-tech | opinion/analysis author Tuesday November 03, 2020 21:43author by Sean Crudden - IMPERO Report this post to the editors

Is Progress Possible?

I do not know much about it. But I think science policy nationally and internationally is a delicate balance. It's difficult to form a picture of who is doing research, what are their objectives, what are the rewards. My impression is that science is mostly controlled by commercial interests. What is invented mostly is what can sell. You have copyright and secrecy backed up by law to preserve the pitch for profit. It is easy to see the sense in this because it provides an incentive for scientists and their employers to spend time and money on research.

But there is also a negative aspect to this way of doing things. Manufacturers are not wholly induced to innovate. They might see more profit from concentrating on already discovered products. Pharmaceuticals are, perhaps, an example of this. Instead of looking for new and improved drugs, they may see more profit from continuing to produce older drugs even if they are less than perfect with lots of unwanted effects.

Maybe we are at the end of scientific discovery. Has everything already been invented? Is there nothing new down the tracks?

The classic image of the scientist is a sort of picture of the lonely artist working in his garret. Striving might and main with little backup. Anxious for a breakthrough. Ready to publish findings and share with fellow scientists. The main incentive fame and approval from his or her peers. A sort of race to the South Pole to see who will be the first to get there.

The positive side of this has nothing to do with science as such. The spirit of enquiry. Openness. Fellowship. Sharing.

The picture of scientists we have now is of faceless gnomes with riding instructions beavering away to make a profit for their bosses.

Sir Alexander Fleming is a scientist we all seem to be indebted to. But who is responsible for most of the rest of the discoveries which impact our daily lives?

What science does is less important, in my view, than how it does it.

Anyway, I think a platform like Wiki or iTunes would be useful. Oblige scientists to report on their work in an accessible way, pace commercial interests.

Related Link: http://imperodotorg.wordpress.com
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