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analog8374today at 4:37 PM1 replyview on HN

Would you say that modern medical science is truth-motivated or profit-motivated? 50-50? 60-40?


Replies

gumbytoday at 5:12 PM

On the research side, 90% (or more)/10%. Overwhelmingly there’s little money to be made beyond a few outliers.

On the commercial side obviously money issues dominate (because the costs are enormous as are the commercial risks), but from my experience in the industry there’s a surprising amount of idealism too. Naturally, some people mouth that idealism to justify their avarice, but quite a lot are motivated by it.