The word “corporate” to me is a nameless chain of command looking for ways to make their employees feel like they never do enough. “Corporate” sets almost impossible standards, and offers nothing less than phony negotiations. What they stand for is perceived through advertisement, but what you get is a voice recording and an unwillingness to understand the problem with sincerity. Taking my thoughts into consideration I can see how these scientists live in fear that their own ideas will be used against themselves, and having a potential risk that they can be penalized financially if they do not take certain legal precautions. Where is the science in that? What is it about the common good if the common wants to take the good you have contributed and use it against you? When something is good everyone wants the credit! What does this say about other science that we are not even seeing? What is being hidden from us that could help us, but there is a laboratory in fear that what they have worked on for so long will be stripped from them if don’t protect their work.
Scientists who work with corporations face impossible timelines to properly do their research, and face so many risks associated with patented work. How is this helping the public if they are doing sloppy research? It’s the mcdonaldization of research and health! What used to be acceptable is now the new sufficient (even though it isn’t). Maximizing our researchers’ productivity and data collection, but also shaving years off the study and saving money in the mean time! Similarity to the tragedy of the commons- it’s the tragedy of the corporations!
"The common good for who?" is an interesting way to phrase it. One might immediately say, "well, for all of us...because the 'good' is common to us all." What you ask "troubles" our usual meanings of "common"...for example where you suggest that the doing of science (presumed to be, without fear of being contradicted, for the common good) actually sets up the possibility of scientists being criticized. Now we have to inspect the presumed innocence of scientific knowledge, the presumed separation of science from everything else. Indeed, we are led to think again about what we've reading and discussing all term long.
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