Michael Eisen on Technology

Patents are destroying the soul of academic science

The academic quest for patents is no longer the side story. Where once technology licensing staff rushed to secure intellectual property before scientists blab about their work, patents now, in many quarters, dominate the game. Experiments are done to stake out claims, new discoveries are held in secrecy and talks and publication are delayed. But the most worrying trend has been the willingness of some researchers & research institutions to distort history, demean their colleagues and misrepresent the scientific process to support these efforts.

Government should be a partner, not just a funding source

Eisen says that he's one of a growing number of scientists who, in response to the election of President Donald Trump, have decided that their political activism has to rise above simply lobbying for more funding. "Too much of the scientific establishment looks at the government as a bank--that the primary thing we should worry about is can we get the right amount of money out of Congress," he says. "Too few people focus on the fact that science needs to be a partnership with the public for it to thrive."