Trials and Errors: Why Science Is Failing Us

This is just the tip of the iceberg...It's not science per se that's failing, but the rush to market these drugs, and all the pressure that goes with that...The focus I think is changing from cure, to prevention....The economic model makes more sense, after all an oz of prevention is worth a lb of cure, n'est-ce pas?

What a mish-mash of an article. Most of the arguments made here are straw-men types, where the writer defines each problem in his own exaggerated fashion and then burns down the straw man with statements none of those [unknown, not-named] scientists would counter, even if given the chance.

His statements below show his ignorance not only of how drug research and science work, but also show he has only a vague acquaintance with 'Moore's Law' which he meaninglessly name-drops here as though it is some profound revelation.

According to one internal estimate, approximately 85 percent of new prescription drugs approved by European regulators provide little to no new benefit. We are witnessing Moore's law in reverse.

Science isn't failing us. Politics are.

Corporations and special interest groups are buying votes.

The average person just sees their money go the failures that get the media coverage.

There is no long term money in curing and preventative medical issues. The big money is treating symptoms.

Same issues in our production of consumer goods. Take tires, 200,000 mile tires have been made. They didn't cost any more but you would only need one set with your car for its standard lifetime not 10 sets.

Car engines could easily go a million miles. But if you built a car that way you would only need 2 in most peoples lifetime, not one every 100 to 200 thousand miles.

Until it is in the best interest of the corporations and politicians who fund the science the symptom will get the attention.

There is a very old saying that if you pay your workers in milk, calves will die.

The individual pays taxes as a percentage of the gross to the government not a percentage of the net improvement to the country. There is no incentive to improve.