5 ms·

I think individuals simply shouldn't have that much influence over the brightest minds via having more money.

• JamesBarney 6y ago
  It seems strange to me to believe that a wealthy person can spend a 100 million dollars on a yacht, but if he instead gives that money to one of the brightest minds we have a problem.
  • nlosti 6y ago
    No I think the former should not be possible either.
  • mcv 6y ago
    This is the big paradox of the situation. Of course we want investment in science. But we don't want science to only serve the interests of the rich. We don't want the rich to choose which science happens. And the same goes for many other aspects of life. Money buys power, so the rich get to decide a lot, and that undermines democracy, objective journalism, and much more. So maybe we want money not to buy power, but only luxury? But then you get rich people who only spend their money on luxury yachts and give back nothing to society.
• s1artibartfast 6y ago
  It is unclear from the article that that Epstein had any influence over what the brightest minds were researching.
• Nasrudith 6y ago
  That seems rather objectifying of the brightest minds. They have their own agency and motivations. It is ultimately up to them whether they are swayed or tell objectionable sources to get bent.