more on valuable scientific research (not)

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

From: Robert Daffin <rsd3414 () ACRretail com>

For IP.

Professor Farber,

It irritates me when someone besmirches someone else's work as irrelevant or
wasteful.  The money and time spent (3 months, 10,000 pounds) are not
"incredible" imho.  The money spent did not come from any government
coffer--rather, the research was paid for by a company
(http://www.arlafoods.com/) that is in the business of selling butter.  Last
time I checked, there was no requirement for companies to forego research in
areas that affect their bottom line to instead provide for those in need.

Food science is important, regardless of how you view the relevancy of this
particular study.
http://www.eng.iastate.edu/explorer/topics/food/whyimpfs.htm

I agree that the number of children dying each day due to unsanitary water
is a tragedy.  Hopefully, the UN report will help garner more support for
addressing this most critical problem.  Criticizing a particular research
project because you disagree as to whether the money was well-spent is
unfair, especially when it isn't your money to allocate.  We don't ever want
to get into a situation where every proposed research project is held up
against a social benefit standard--that would be bad for science, which
would in turn slow progress toward scientific solutions that might one day
help make all of that unsanitary water potable.

Background information on the professor quoted in the article:

<snip>

Professor Bronek Wedzicha

Bronek is a chemistry graduate of the University of London where he also
read for his PhD in physical-inorganic chemistry (reaction kinetics) under
the supervision of Dr Keith Howlett. His first job was as a Senior Research
Fellow at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food working with Dr
David McWeeny in Norwich on the chemical reactivity of sulphur dioxide in
foods with particular emphasis on its inhibition of browning reactions.
Subsequently he spent a short time with the Agricultural Research Council
(Food Research Institute) working on interactions of sprout suppressants,
also in Norwich, before moving to Leeds 25 years ago, as a Lecturer in Food
Science. He is now Personal Professor of Food Science awarded for his work
on the chemistry of sulphur dioxide and kinetic modelling of chemical
reactions in food. Currently he is Head of the Procter Department of Food
Science.

Research interests and indicative external lectures are listed on the
relevant pages.

http://www.food.leeds.ac.uk/staff/blw/Background.htm

http://www.food.leeds.ac.uk/staff/blw/default.htm

-R 

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