Skip to Main Content

Science for Sale: The Perils, Rewards, and Delusions of Campus Capitalism

Online ISBN:
9780226306261
Print ISBN:
9780226306254
Publisher:
University of Chicago Press
Book

Science for Sale: The Perils, Rewards, and Delusions of Campus Capitalism

Daniel S. Greenberg
Daniel S. Greenberg
Find on
Published online:
21 March 2013
Published in print:
1 October 2007
Online ISBN:
9780226306261
Print ISBN:
9780226306254
Publisher:
University of Chicago Press

Abstract

In recent years the news media have been awash with stories about increasingly close ties between college campuses and multimillion-dollar corporations. America's universities, the story goes, reap enormous windfalls patenting products of scientific research that have been primarily funded by taxpayers. Meanwhile, hoping for new streams of revenue from their innovations, the same universities are allowing their research—and their very principles—to become compromised by quests for profit. But is that really the case? Is money really hopelessly corrupting science? This book reveals that campus capitalism is more complicated—and less profitable—than media reports would suggest. While universities seek out corporate funding, news stories rarely note that those industry dollars are dwarfed by government support and other funds. Also, while many universities have set up technology transfer offices to pursue profits through patents, many of those offices have been financial busts. Meanwhile, science is showing signs of providing its own solutions, as highly publicized misdeeds in pursuit of profits have provoked promising countermeasures within the field. But just because the threat is overhyped, the book argues, does not mean that there is no danger. From research that has shifted overseas so corporations can avoid regulations to conflicts of interest in scientific publishing, the temptations of money will always be a threat, and they can only be countered through the vigilance of scientists, the press, and the public.

Contents
Close
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

Close

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

View Article Abstract & Purchase Options

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

Close