From Mark Zuckerberg pledging $3 billion to cure global disease, to Elon Musk funneling his fortune into projects designed to stop ‘evil AI’, powerful private interests are seeking to influence the direction of scientific progress. Furthermore, recent reports show that 70% of all scientific research is funded by the commercial interests and of the remaining more than half is funded for military purposes. On the one hand, we see science as the gold standard of objective truth. Yet, we allow and encourage science to be influenced in its direction and its research by those with evident vested interests.
Can science provide an unbiased and independent account of the world, when so much new research is burdened with monetary incentives? Does the problem lie deeper and do scientists need to give up the notion that their work is noble and with pure intentions? And if this is the case, where does this leave the pursuit of truth?
Libertarian biochemist and former advisor to Thatcher Terence Kealey, and evolutionary biologist and professor in exile Bret Weinstein debate Experiment, Bias and Knowledge.