5 ms·

Why can't we focus a lot of funding on this project? This is exactly the kind of thing for Government to lead rather than wasting time trying to healthcare out.

zackmorris 9y ago
I agree. Most people don't seem to realize the kind of progress that's been made in recent years with CRISPR etc. These problems are becoming data problems rather than biology/chemistry problems. The public (government) should certainly be funding many teams with small amounts of money ($10,000 to $100,000 say) rather than pouring billions/trillions of dollars into "proven winners" (big pharma) that mainly come up with therapies rather than doing basic research. Honestly I think the same argument applies to so many areas of the economy: alternative energy, space travel, growing food, and so on. We could be finding so many "cures" for relatively modest investments that our current system has actually become very expensive due to the opportunity cost of not doing so. I've spent most of my life asking what we are all working for and towards but have come to the conclusion that keeping everyone busy is the goal now, not progress.
- deorder 9y ago
  What about the following CRISPR patent problem? https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsherkow/2017/02/21/how-much-is-a-crispr-patent-license-worth/#3f325ed06b77 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsherkow/2017/02/21/how-muc... http://www.nature.com/news/why-the-crispr-patent-verdict-isn-t-the-end-of-the-story-1.21510 http://www.nature.com/news/why-the-crispr-patent-verdict-isn... This could discourage smaller companies from picking it up (ex. to build upon it, from which in the long run everyone will profit, see open-source) and make CRISPR-based treatments more expensive / unavailable (ex. large companies owning the patents artificially inflating the price, may be even more than the old technology it replaces).
exabrial 9y ago
I do agree with what you're saying but don't downplay the healthcare talks either :/ I lost my health insurance, again, to Obamacare. But it doesn't matter because no one in my state (ks) is willing to sell individual health insurance next year... I think there are three states headed this way last time I read. So yes, the repeal of Obamacare does need to happen sadly :/ I'm hoping for a partisan solution, but at the moment members of Congress are busy promoting their political parties instead of working together.
- perseusprime11 9y ago
  Oh wow. The main stream media doesn't even report this problem with Obamacare. Is there a national health exchange that you can buy your insurance from?
  - exabrial 9y ago
    No, they won't report it. They're obsessed with Russian conspiracy theories ATM. No, we do not have any national health exchange. That was proposed by the Republicans instead of the original Obamacare bill but was rejected.

zackmorris 9y ago

I agree. Most people don't seem to realize the kind of progress that's been made in recent years with CRISPR etc. These problems are becoming data problems rather than biology/chemistry problems. The public (government) should certainly be funding many teams with small amounts of money ($10,000 to $100,000 say) rather than pouring billions/trillions of dollars into "proven winners" (big pharma) that mainly come up with therapies rather than doing basic research. Honestly I think the same argument applies to so many areas of the economy: alternative energy, space travel, growing food, and so on. We could be finding so many "cures" for relatively modest investments that our current system has actually become very expensive due to the opportunity cost of not doing so. I've spent most of my life asking what we are all working for and towards but have come to the conclusion that keeping everyone busy is the goal now, not progress.

deorder 9y ago
What about the following CRISPR patent problem? https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsherkow/2017/02/21/how-much-is-a-crispr-patent-license-worth/#3f325ed06b77 https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsherkow/2017/02/21/how-muc... http://www.nature.com/news/why-the-crispr-patent-verdict-isn-t-the-end-of-the-story-1.21510 http://www.nature.com/news/why-the-crispr-patent-verdict-isn... This could discourage smaller companies from picking it up (ex. to build upon it, from which in the long run everyone will profit, see open-source) and make CRISPR-based treatments more expensive / unavailable (ex. large companies owning the patents artificially inflating the price, may be even more than the old technology it replaces).

exabrial 9y ago

I do agree with what you're saying but don't downplay the healthcare talks either :/ I lost my health insurance, again, to Obamacare. But it doesn't matter because no one in my state (ks) is willing to sell individual health insurance next year... I think there are three states headed this way last time I read. So yes, the repeal of Obamacare does need to happen sadly :/ I'm hoping for a partisan solution, but at the moment members of Congress are busy promoting their political parties instead of working together.

perseusprime11 9y ago
Oh wow. The main stream media doesn't even report this problem with Obamacare. Is there a national health exchange that you can buy your insurance from?
- exabrial 9y ago
  No, they won't report it. They're obsessed with Russian conspiracy theories ATM. No, we do not have any national health exchange. That was proposed by the Republicans instead of the original Obamacare bill but was rejected.