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Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

nature.com

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Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#31

Post by TrainedMonkey »

reidrubsamen wrote: post #27
TrainedMonkey wrote: post #2

Sometimes when it sounds too good to be true... Are there any real researches behind this project?

Thanks for your comments! We have a great team with a lot of experience in computer science, drug delivery and HIV-relevant lab immunology. I studied biochemistry and computer science at UC Berkeley - then going to Stanford for an MD and MS in Computer Science - was in the PhD program in course 6-2 at MIT - left (without getting the PhD) to start Aradigm in Hayward where I worked for 10 years on inhaled insulin. That…

That gives me a measure of confidence. Thanks!

Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#32

Post by nickthemagicman »

Fomite wrote: post #29
nickthemagicman wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the way science should be funded. Imagine if the pace of medical research moved at the pace of javascript frameworks. We would all be fucking immortal. There would probably be some mutants though. But you gotta crack some eggs.

"Fail fast, fail often" is less of a good thing when it's actual people's lives.

Damn bro you're dropping eggs of wisdom on all of us.

I agree. You give the kids a PCR machine and suddenly everyone is dead.

Better stop now before it's too late.

Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#33

Post by nickthemagicman »

icinnamon wrote: post #20
nickthemagicman wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the way science should be funded. Imagine if the pace of medical research moved at the pace of javascript frameworks. We would all be fucking immortal. There would probably be some mutants though. But you gotta crack some eggs.

Hi- Ian from Immunity Project here. Thank you for your support! We know our fundraising approach for this experiment is novel, and we believe it's the fastest way to get it done.

Thanks for stepping out on a limb and doing something disruptive and new!

We need more open source science!

Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#34

Post by jostmey »

dnautics wrote: post #7
frisco wrote: post #4

Just to clarify, I followed up "you can have people who are bad at science but are good at fundraising in public," with "and you can have people with very good science who are bad at fundraising," and I think you probably have a lot more of the latter than the former, which I perceive as the larger injustice. I didn't mean to come across as a downer on the project. I was clear to point out that I know very little abo…

"you can have people who are bad at science but are good at fundraising in public," You can also have people who are bad at science and are good at obtaining NIH grants. In my professional opinion, this characterizes a LOT of researchers out there. Which is the greater injustice? Dis?claimer: I happen to think that I'm good at science and indeed I failed at a crowdfunding attempt.

Agreed! I was following closely to your efforts to see what happened with "http://www.indysci.org/". I hope your fundraising efforts turn out well in the future.

Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#35

Post by jseliger »

Fomite wrote: post #29
nickthemagicman wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the way science should be funded. Imagine if the pace of medical research moved at the pace of javascript frameworks. We would all be fucking immortal. There would probably be some mutants though. But you gotta crack some eggs.

"Fail fast, fail often" is less of a good thing when it's actual people's lives.

"Fail fast, fail often" is less of a good thing when it's actual people's lives.

It depends. A lot of people are already losing their lives through inaction.

This is slightly tangential, Alex Tabarrok's book Launching the Innovation Renaissance is good on the subject of FDA inertia and spending too much time trying to prove efficacy and too little emphasis on experimentation and rapid iteration: http://www.amazon.com/Launching-Innovation-Renaissance-Marke... .

Re: Crowd-funded HIV vaccine project sparks debate

#36

Post by toomuchtodo »

Fomite wrote: post #29
nickthemagicman wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the way science should be funded. Imagine if the pace of medical research moved at the pace of javascript frameworks. We would all be fucking immortal. There would probably be some mutants though. But you gotta crack some eggs.

"Fail fast, fail often" is less of a good thing when it's actual people's lives.

Unless I've signed on the dotted line and know the risks.

I'm willing to chance death for perpetual regeneration. No pain, no gain.

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