Re:The agreement does *not* give free access
on
Profit vs. Science
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· Score: 1
I agree with the above comment in regards to the purpose of the full genome - to do full genomic analysis. This is obviously impossible if a researcher only has access to 1Mb at a time. I'm a firm believer that science is a quest for knowledge, and that anybody who has the desire to go on that quest can. In this arrangement, the only institutions that can go after the quest of analyzing the full genome sequenced by Celera are the ones that will be able to pay for it. This is a total breech to the spirit of research. If I read in a paper that someone used a vector (plasmid DNA) of some sort, I have the right to request that plasmid from the author, and they have the obligation to provide it to me (although this doesn't always happen).
While Science says that they are providing raw data (in accordance with normal publication procedure), the restriction that you can only get 1Mb of it at a time kinda ruins it for everyone. It's like going to the library and checking out War and Peace one page at a time. With the librarian looking over your shoulder! This WILL hinder the use of this data for bioinformatics research, as stated above.
On a side note, I thought that, while Celera had sequenced the whole genome, they are far from putting it together. Is this evident from the data that will be available for peer review? Will there be peer review on the reconstruction of full contigs of the sequence? Not if they can't see it all. So that is not really good, either...
I don't like the idea of patenting sequence. I have been watching the Open Source movement for about 2 years now in rapt awe, because I think that this IS exactly what is supposed to happen in science. In science, we merely discover or describe what is already out there but the Open Source movement is all about creating what definately wouldn't be there if people didn't do it. And yet we can't seem to perpetuate that idea in science, that everything is free for anyone to observe. While our economy probably depends on the profit garnered by such big companies like Celera (our stock market certainly depends on them) it is sad to see everything go forward in terms of profit. It takes money to make money, but it is definately the root of all evil.
I, too saw this movie on Thanksgiving night, figuring if it had Bruce Willis AND Samuel L Jackson in it, it had to be good. When I came out I was confused - I thought, well, this would have been a lot better if I had an appreciation for comic books. Which I guess I don't. Perhaps that is because I am not as old as the author of this review??
I was disappointed because I was looking forward to looking at the psychological ramifications of being "unbreakable". Everyone I saw it with said it moved too slow and I thought it really left a lot hanging at the end (his relationship with his wife, his kid, his job, himself even!)
Did the makers of the film/trailer hope it would get some success coming so soon after The Sixth Sense? Because that is how it seemed they played the marketing. Worked on me, but I don't recommend it until it hits video.
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I agree with the above comment in regards to the purpose of the full genome - to do full genomic analysis. This is obviously impossible if a researcher only has access to 1Mb at a time. I'm a firm believer that science is a quest for knowledge, and that anybody who has the desire to go on that quest can. In this arrangement, the only institutions that can go after the quest of analyzing the full genome sequenced by Celera are the ones that will be able to pay for it. This is a total breech to the spirit of research. If I read in a paper that someone used a vector (plasmid DNA) of some sort, I have the right to request that plasmid from the author, and they have the obligation to provide it to me (although this doesn't always happen).
While Science says that they are providing raw data (in accordance with normal publication procedure), the restriction that you can only get 1Mb of it at a time kinda ruins it for everyone. It's like going to the library and checking out War and Peace one page at a time. With the librarian looking over your shoulder! This WILL hinder the use of this data for bioinformatics research, as stated above.
On a side note, I thought that, while Celera had sequenced the whole genome, they are far from putting it together. Is this evident from the data that will be available for peer review? Will there be peer review on the reconstruction of full contigs of the sequence? Not if they can't see it all. So that is not really good, either...
I don't like the idea of patenting sequence. I have been watching the Open Source movement for about 2 years now in rapt awe, because I think that this IS exactly what is supposed to happen in science. In science, we merely discover or describe what is already out there but the Open Source movement is all about creating what definately wouldn't be there if people didn't do it. And yet we can't seem to perpetuate that idea in science, that everything is free for anyone to observe. While our economy probably depends on the profit garnered by such big companies like Celera (our stock market certainly depends on them) it is sad to see everything go forward in terms of profit. It takes money to make money, but it is definately the root of all evil.
I, too saw this movie on Thanksgiving night, figuring if it had Bruce Willis AND Samuel L Jackson in it, it had to be good. When I came out I was confused - I thought, well, this would have been a lot better if I had an appreciation for comic books. Which I guess I don't. Perhaps that is because I am not as old as the author of this review??
I was disappointed because I was looking forward to looking at the psychological ramifications of being "unbreakable". Everyone I saw it with said it moved too slow and I thought it really left a lot hanging at the end (his relationship with his wife, his kid, his job, himself even!)
Did the makers of the film/trailer hope it would get some success coming so soon after The Sixth Sense? Because that is how it seemed they played the marketing. Worked on me, but I don't recommend it until it hits video.