Sep
19
19
It’s Like She Was Saying All Along
Shorter Megan McArdle:
Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants
- Derek Lowe continues to swat down the canard that all the real drug research is done in academic labs, while drug companies unfairly reap the rewards:
Not a canard is that a lot of drug research is done in academic labs, while drug companies reap the rewards…
‘Shorter’ concept created by Daniel Davies and perfected by Elton Beard. [Hanx! Sadly, Cambridgeport]
Bonus Shorter McArdle:
- When I suggested that America’s car culture might boost fertility rates, what I meant all along was ‘culture’ — like, the income to buy big cars, not actual roads or driving on them or anything.
Cangrejero said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:02
Megan is still recovering from her third chocolitini last night and can’t be expected to make sense (for her) before noon.
Megs McCurdle, Girl Journalist said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:21
It’s a canard … it’s *not* a canard … what’s one lousy little word?
Sadly, Cambridgeport said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:23
Yay!! My first ever hat tip!!! I’m in the big time now, baby.
El Cid said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:32
I think here the full context of the writer she quotes is relevant:
No canards were swatted. I don’t see a whole lot of evidence that this Atlantic nimrod writer even read this selection. At best, the quoted writer asks vague unanswered questions, perhaps rhetorical, about “what we owe” publicly-funded basic science research. Not an “A-HA!” moment at all, not anything like it.
The entire metaphor chosen for “standing on the shoulders of giants” is employed to suggest that whatever private companies do, their work is in large part based on the basic research done in academia — what “we call…science” in other words.
To shallow market fundamentalist cheerleaders, when research is done by a private company, it’s incredibly crucial research and we all need to fall on our knees and thank Bristol Myers Squibb Halliburton Mattel for gifting us with their Olympian dedication.
When it’s done in academia, well, it’s mere “science”, basic research which may or may not pan out, so let them deal with the problem that sometimes you research leads which aren’t immediately profitable but which do help us understand something about the universe.
In my private business, it would be nice to have a publicly-funded filtering program which eliminated most unprofitable leads before we had to work on them — that would help us enormously. But if that happened, I’d make sure to take full credit for any profit later occurring, and dispute any idea that our profitability filtering service helped at all.
Mike Nilsen said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:33
No matter what her argument, it’s extremely unlikely that any aspect of any culture (unless it’s a cultural propensity to gobble fertility drugs) would affect fertility rates. Birth rates, perhaps.
Simba B. said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:35
Yes, but that’s exactly the kind of depth that we goad her for not appreciating.
Robert Green said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:38
mike, el cid, you are both pointing out the same problem with her, and why she should be fired: her presuppisitions are there to be supported by anything she reads which contains–let’s say keywords–that might be germane.
“i know that people are mean to big drug companies reflexively” she thinks to herself, “and as a counter-intuitor i will knock that belief down with facts!! hey here’s an article that mentions drug companies–PERFECT”
later, her commenters (99% totally idiotic libertarians themselves) might notice, but since they are in thrall to this kind of stupidity as well, they don’t bother to hit her with an intellectual axe.
Pere Ubu said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:49
Well, we call that “science”, as far as I can see. Everything is built on top of something else.
Holy SHIT, those “scientists” are just a bunch of parasticial second-handers!
REAL men of genius, in an Randian sense, would merely INUIT things to be “right”!
jnfr said,
September 19, 2007 at 16:53
Truthiness rules. Science drools.
MCH said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:03
REAL men of genius, in an Randian sense, would merely INUIT things to be “right”!
If you want it done right, hire an Eskimo. What?
Gary Ruppert said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:05
The fact is, it costs $800 million to develop any new drug. Drug companies must be able to do research to compete and save lives. Liberals want to restrict their ability to innovate, or provide unfair public competition, or price controls that are not good in a free marketplace. They might work in some socialist country, but I am proud to live in a country where health is everybody’s business and everyone’s responsibility. If you don’t like it swim to Cuba.
DJ said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:06
Ruppert, Ruppert, Ruppert. Why are you darkening these doors again? Don’t you need to visit your parole officer?
http://thumbsnap.com/v/DD4cql02.jpg
J— said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:13
Another fine display of the critical reading skills that secured McArdle’s position as judge for the America’s Future Foundation College Blogger Contest 2008.
Spirula said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:14
As someone who does research (pain) funded by NIH, drug companies absolutely depend on us to “steer” their research and production. We do all the “hey, why don’t we try this” research that they would not dream of undertaking without some reasonable prospect of bringing a product to market. All they have to do is scan the publications for promising new information.
I would also add that academic research funding is WAY down. Many labs that used to be have lights burning late into the night are now dark at 5pm. A lot of researchers are now going overseas (Europe and Asia).
Thanks W et. al..
Red Shark said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:22
Why won’t she update her Gadget of the Week? I’ve been on the edge of my seat since the end of week one. It’s like waiting for the other shoe drop or a Charlie Watts drum break. Sadly, it’s the only consistent thing she’s written to date.
Candy said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:32
My cousin and her spouse are both research scientists for a major drug company, and they heartily support universal health care and any other program or process which gets health care and medicine to those who need it. They say the idea that this will hurt research is absurd.
Clem said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:35
Shark, she’s holding out for federally-funded research that will yield a Dalmatian that is also a delicious breakfast drink.
As for the fertility thing, McArdle’s been talking babies lately: programs to encourage baby making, the hardships of baby toting in big cities and the “pregnant look” caused by clothing too short for her Tranzor-Z frame.
Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick.
Lesly said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:42
It’s crazy shit like this, courageously bucking common sense and public knowledge, that makes libertarians look like corporate shilling whores. Oh wait…
noen said,
September 19, 2007 at 17:45
When I suggested that America’s car culture might boost fertility rates, what I meant all along was ‘culture’ — like, the income to buy big cars, not actual roads or driving on them or anything.
Right Megan, because you can so totally have a car culture without the roads to drive them on. Just ask Jay Leno.
And she pretty explicitly equates “culture” with money. Kind of sums her up doesn’t it? Because as we all know, you can buy good taste.
ann althouse said,
September 19, 2007 at 18:13
Ever since you became obsessed with this McArdle bitch, you’ve totally ignored me. Don’t you love me anymore? I know what it is, she’s younger and taller than me. That’s it, isn’t? You’re so typical. I hate you.
Please don’t leave meeeeeee……
Gus said,
September 19, 2007 at 18:18
How does Derek Lowe find the time? In addition to throwing 200 innings, he’s also writing about organic chemistry!
g said,
September 19, 2007 at 18:34
But all this brings up another thing that we were talking about around here – how much do drug companies owe academia for working out fundamental biochemistry and molecular biology?
Hey, I got a great idea that’s probably never occurred to Megan. What if drug companies could actually grant funds to academics to do research????????? Is this an idea that could catch on?
FlipYrWhig said,
September 19, 2007 at 19:12
How does Derek Lowe find the time? In addition to throwing 200 innings, he’s also writing about organic chemistry!
There’s a long and glorious tradition in baseball for this kind of chemical inquiry: Bill Lee, Dock Ellis, Dwight Gooden…
Spirula said,
September 19, 2007 at 19:21
Hey, I got a great idea that’s probably never occurred to Megan. What if drug companies could actually grant funds to academics to do research????????? Is this an idea that could catch on?
Actually, they do. It’s a lot cheaper for them to farm out some of the very preliminary research to academics, whose salaries and facilities are already funded through the universities.
g said,
September 19, 2007 at 19:42
Sorry, Spirula, I forgot to turn on my sarcasm indicator light.
Spirula said,
September 19, 2007 at 19:56
Sorry g,
My sarcasm detector must have blown a fuse. Figures. My irony meter broke earlier and my WTF gauge has been pegged for quite awhile.
Klein's Tiny Left Nut said,
September 19, 2007 at 20:35
Standing on the shoulders of giants will not increase the fertility rate — but if you get the giant to put her legs over your shoulders, you might have something.
a different brad said,
September 19, 2007 at 21:36
Pffft.
Only old timers shorten. The kool kids today condense.
*totally not jealous of S,N!*
Batocchio said,
September 19, 2007 at 21:55
So let’s see, normally she does no research.
When she actually bothers to read something, she misstates it.
She makes a stupid argument and then tries to say that’s not what she meant. She’s both a sloppy thinker and a sloppy writer.
If this was an isolated incident, it’d be one thing, but she does this all the time. My god. The humanity.
Sadly, Cambridgeport said,
September 19, 2007 at 23:08
I increase my fertility with ghey secks. Try it, it totally works!!!
mikey said,
September 20, 2007 at 1:13
I increase my fertility with ghey secks.
I totally read that as “I increase my fertility with grey slacks”….
mikey
Sadly, Cambridgeport said,
September 20, 2007 at 5:50
yeah, my lucky grey slacks. the ones with a functioning female reproductive system sewn into the crotch.
Mehitabel the Abyssinian said,
September 20, 2007 at 10:01
If I have seen further than other cats, it is because I sit on the faces of house-apes.
Ruthie said,
September 20, 2007 at 10:27
But all this brings up another thing that we were talking about around here – how much do drug companies owe academia for working out fundamental biochemistry and molecular biology? What if someone uses this very compound, for example, as a research tool and discovers something about its target that could be used to develop an actual drug? What do we call that?
Uhm, “patent infringement?” Megs seems to have less than minimal understanding of the technology transfer dvisions of major universities.
Herr Doktor Bimler said,
September 20, 2007 at 11:07
We definitely need to swat down those canards. Otherwise they flap around the house, stinking the place out. Especially the canards that fly out of the toilet. Kids, if you get a canard for $mas and you get bored with looking after it, you can’t just flush it away and forget about it. You know they’re breeding down there in the sewers. It’s not just the San Diego sewers. Or Montevideo.
I’m sorry, what was the question?