Friggin Tractor Beams

[LikeWaah]

You've touched upon the problem. The lion's share of money is directed at research that will enables sustenance of broken systems. For example, more pills to let you sit on the couch, eat frozen pizza, and still live 85 years. Modern agricultural research is almost exclusively directed at increasing the efficiency (in terms of fewer workers and more yield per acre) of a monocropping business paradigm...you think that commercially-worked farmland will be arable in a decade or two? There is no sustainability, we're just hoping that Monsanto will come out with some chemical to get us a couple more years out of overworked, eroding soil.

Most current research is about maximizing the profits from problems, many of which were created by technology in the first place. It's not about solutions. Before I returned to academia, I worked in pharma for over six years, and believe me, the last thing they want is a cure. They want to sell you a treatment.

I agree that the pharma industry would prefer to sell you a treatment, rather than a cure. I work in the pharma industry as well, and that's been my impression so far (in my limited time). However, that being said, it's not a simple matter of "Oh, we're not going to work on a cure, we'll just work on treatments" (as you know). First, an understanding of the target disease (and its pathways) is necessary before you can develop a 'cure', or even a 'treatment'. Legwork is necessary before we can develop a cure, and usually that legwork results in some viable treatments.

Now, I'm not far up enough on the ladder to know this, but how far the company decides to take the research is the different story. Maybe some choose to stop as soon as they find a suitable treatment, not caring to continue the research to find a cure.

I also agree that in the real world, the practice of science (and more importantly, its applications) are not as clean cut as we are taught in school. But that should not take away from its potential benefits. Nothing in the real world ever goes perfectly according to plan - nothing.

 

[CoorsLight]

Now, I'm not far up enough on the ladder to know this, but how far the company decides to take the research is the different story. Maybe some choose to stop as soon as they find a suitable treatment, not caring to continue the research to find a cure.

Well, treatments don't usually lead to cures because of the targets that are selected, and the major causes for candidate attrition is PK or pharmaceutics problems, but basically what you say here is what what turned me off to pharma. If you get far enough up the ladder to work on CMC teams, project teams, or due diligence for project acquisition, you might get to see how projects get selected and carried out.

There are many many serious diseases with proven treatments, and even cures in some cases, but those diseases remain serious problems in many parts of the globe, e.g. malaria and parasitic diseases to name a couple. So why does your company instead choose to develop a new drug for erectile dysfunction instead of distributing an anti-malarial? Because people with malaria usually don't have money, and because Angola doesn't have a medicare system to rape. Look closely, and you'll see it.

 

[Morphine]

:subscribed. Really interesting thread.

 

[LikeWaah]

Well, treatments don't usually lead to cures because of the targets that are selected, and the major causes for candidate attrition is PK or pharmaceutics problems, but basically what you say here is what what turned me off to pharma. If you get far enough up the ladder to work on CMC teams, project teams, or due diligence for project acquisition, you might get to see how projects get selected and carried out.

Haha, well, maybe not. During my limited time here, I've quickly come to the realization that the medical field is not for me. There's a lot of responsibility on your shoulders, and if something goes wrong, you get all the blame.

So, we'll see if I ever make it up there, but I'd bet against myself there.

There are many many serious diseases with proven treatments, and even cures in some cases, but those diseases remain serious problems in many parts of the globe, e.g. malaria and parasitic diseases to name a couple. So why does your company instead choose to develop a new drug for erectile dysfunction instead of distributing an anti-malarial? Because people with malaria usually don't have money, and because Angola doesn't have a medicare system to rape. Look closely, and you'll see it.

Definitely. Would we be getting paid to conduct clinical trials of migraine treatments or Alzheimer's treatments, if there wasn't a market for those drugs?

I highly doubt it. :|

 

[Yakoo752]

can we get back to star trek and tractor beams?

kthxbai

 

[kevin 714]

for reference shotiline, the offer stands

 

[LikeWaah]

So, okay traveling at the speed of light might be impossible. Fine.

But what about the cool medical beds in the sickbay? Wouldn't it be nice to lay down on a bed, have a scanner just scan you for problems, then get a healing laser shot at you?

We'd probably be able to fix broken bones that way, or internal bleeding..but not cancer. Somehow we haven't found a way to cure cancer yet.

Surely this must be in the realm of possibility... ...

 

[Yakoo752]

So, okay traveling at the speed of light might be impossible. Fine.

But what about the cool medical beds in the sickbay? Wouldn't it be nice to lay down on a bed, have a scanner just scan you for problems, then get a healing laser shot at you?

We'd probably be able to fix broken bones that way, or internal bleeding..but not cancer. Somehow we haven't found a way to cure cancer yet.

Surely this must be in the realm of possibility... ...

I won't say we're close to finding a cure for cancer but I will say that the cure will likely be found in some form nanotechnology.

We are getting better at the direct administration of treatment to specified cells.

 

[kevin 714]

lol @ vacuum fluctuation energy. I just happened to be sitting on the last night tank reading opening notes written by Robert Forward.

I first heard of it when reading "Childhood's End" by A.C. Clarke in the mid 80's and sadly, nothing seems to have changed or progressed on the state of observations for it.

Significant advances in the understanding of expansion, the vacuum, inflation, and the void, since the 80's brah.