I had an immediate reaction when this Slashdot post about an “independent” study that resulted in Newham and Microsoft signing a 10 year deal for Microsoft providing IT support for the city of Newham.
It really caught my attention when it was revealed that the study had been funded by Microsoft. It looks a whole lot like our practice in the United States of having pharmecutical companies doing all the drug research and then having the FDA approve or reject the drugs without the FDA having the power to publish the results of the studies the public cannot be confident that any impartial information has been disseminated. All we know is that there is a pretty good chance that the new drugs that get approved are not likely to cause widespread negative side-effects.
It’s just further proof of the need for unbiased study as the root of any problem-solving endeavor such as I suggested for the education system. All this was on my mind because I heard an interview on NPR about giving impartial information to doctors so they could make their decisions based on more than glossy photos and free lunches.