Rare Sharing of Data Led To Results In Alzheimer's Research 159
jamie passes along a story in the NY Times about how an unprecedented level of openness and data-sharing among scientists involved in the study of Alzheimer's disease has yielded a wealth of new research papers and may become the template for making progress in dealing with other afflictions. Quoting:
"The key to the Alzheimer's project was an agreement as ambitious as its goal: not just to raise money, not just to do research on a vast scale, but also to share all the data, making every single finding public immediately, available to anyone with a computer anywhere in the world. No one would own the data. No one could submit patent applications, though private companies would ultimately profit from any drugs or imaging tests developed as a result of the effort. 'It was unbelievable,' said Dr. John Q. Trojanowski, an Alzheimer's researcher at the University of Pennsylvania. 'It's not science the way most of us have practiced it in our careers. But we all realized that we would never get biomarkers unless all of us parked our egos and intellectual-property noses outside the door and agreed that all of our data would be public immediately.'"
I share my data all the time... (Score:3, Funny)
...but I sometimes forget where I put it.
Re:This is real science. (Score:0, Funny)
SHUT UP YOU , YOU, YOU COMMIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Filter error: Don't use so many caps. It's like YELLING"
FITLER THIS!
Almost like an Onion article (Score:5, Funny)
"Scientists attempt to actually better society, are surprised to find that it works"
Re:This is great news, and a great step forward. (Score:5, Funny)
But who am I, other some peon somewhere, right?
Actually, according to my cursory scan, you're a collection of Patented Nucleotide Sequences #47862, #32981, #441998, and #90210. A representative will be by shortly to either receive payment or present you with a Cease and Desist Existing order, and to conduct a more thorough scan for additional IP violations.
Re:This is real science. (Score:5, Funny)
FITLER THIS!
Fitler? Did Hitler buy a gym?
Now crossing a patent office desk: (Score:4, Funny)
Re:This is real science. (Score:5, Funny)
Since public sharing of information saves lives, not sharing is tanamount to murder or at least negligent homicide.
Intellectual Property kills.
the end is nigh (Score:2, Funny)
more and more I wonder about the 2012 thing.
Re:This is great news, and a great step forward. (Score:1, Funny)
Re:This is great news, and a great step forward. (Score:3, Funny)