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Whose $200M? That’s the rub. I agree with you morally, and I think most people would agree that inventors of fundamental tech should be as well-compensated as
by sillysaurusx 3y ago
Whose $200M?
That’s the rub. I agree with you morally, and I think most people would agree that inventors of fundamental tech should be as well-compensated as founders who “merely” bring it to market. But were Einstein or Feynman wealthy, or Newton before them? Perhaps it’s the scientific fate to be at odds with capitalism.
On the other hand, no amount of money can immortalize you the way this type of discovery would.
- psfried 3y agoNewton at least became quite wealthy. Dunno about the others
- sillysaurusx 3y agoInteresting! Do you know how?
- Asparagirl 3y agoNewton was a member of the British elite, he had income from Cambridge University, and he was first the Warden and later the Master of the Royal Mint. He was also experienced in investments. Nevertheless, he also got sucked into the infamous South Sea mania of 1720, which was basically the monkey JPG of its day, and consequently he lost a great deal of his wealth. “Newton's financial misadventures in the South Sea Bubble”: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsnr.2018.0018 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsnr.2018.001...
- pvaldes 3y agoNot having children helps a lot with that
- gizmo686 3y agoThe inventors will absolutely be well compensated (assuming their work pans out). They will get a patent and either sell or license that patent. That patented will probably end up being held by a rent seaker, who will extract money from the entire globe for the next 20 years until the patent expires. Given that, why not have a government spend a bunch of money to buy the rights, then release it to the public domain. If I had to guess, the scientists would be willing to sell it into the public domain for less money then they would to a private company; however they probably would not be willing to donate it to the public domain when there is massive private money on the table. Given all if this, the fact that there will likely not even be an offer for this by the government is a policy choice that we will be paying for for the next 20 years.
- bick_nyers 3y agoJust spread some China fear mongering and the US Government will make that patent disappear.
- Accujack 3y agoThey have been granted the patent they requested in 2021 just recently in the US, FYI.
- MrYellowP 3y ago> Given that, why not have a government spend a bunch of money to buy the rights, then release it to the public domain. I find your faith in governments, or naivete, quite disturbing. There is no such government that would do that. They'd be stupid doing it, too. They'd just keep it and profit from it themselves.
- floxy 3y ago>The inventors will absolutely be well compensated Who owns the patent? It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to assume the company they are working for owns it. Maybe they'll do OK, but I don't think it is a forgone conclusion that the discoverers/inventors will be suddenly wealthy.
- spaceman_2020 3y agoI mean we crowdfunded a space sim to the tune of $550M. I’m sure we can find a way to crowdfund a few dozen million for these folks.
- Jabbles 3y agoAlfred Nobel's? :)