Hamartia Antidote
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"Regulatory Capture of the Scientific Mind"
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Have you seen it? These guys come in. Nce shoes, khaki pants and a button down shirt. In the back talking to your professor. They have a suitcase full of "cash". They need the help of the Prof. This project will benefit human kind, it is his patriotic duty. Eventually they slide a piece of paper on the table. Wanting to do good Mr.Prof signs. He needs the money and his students need some "PHD WORK". He gets cool toys too! The project progresses the students begin to depend on it, the prof depends on the money. Slowly the 2 guys begin making specific requests, small ones at first, minor changes to the project. The good Prof complies. More requests come in, the project is starting to take a strange turn. If the professor mouths off (is "SNIDE"), questions the changes funding will be pulled. That can't happen his students depend on this project. His duty is to his students. MIT, CMU - whoever. The government is not smart enough to do anything on its own. You think the NSA, Darpa or IARPA make their own tech? Psssh they can't even protect their own secrets from 16 yr old kids. Nerds make their stuff and that is how.
Lots of professors are on record regretting their decisions but had little choice. Others like the attention, feel like secret agent or like the occasional steak dinner. There names escape me now. But at least 2 Neuro engineers have videos on youtube discussing this type of "entrapment". I know good people @ both schools. But I am not a fool. I know what these people do for government. More importantly, without them I know what government could not do to us or others..
The good news is not all nerds can be bought. The NSA brags about it they have no monopoly on 'quants', mathematicians or nerds. Whatever, some of us have principals. So "MIT 'X' 'X' or 'Y" argument. I do not like it. Type, "Why Shouldn't I Work for the NSA? (Good Will Hunting)" into your favorite search engine.
You should read this thread..
Machinations of American Embassy in Pakistan
