Conflicts of Interest in Research
Informant: Janet Newton
To All - You may have heard this article discussed on NPR on May 6, 2004. Very similar conflicts exist within the scientific community that researches the biological effects of mobile phone and wireless telecommunication (radiofrequency - RF) radiation. Industry and the military are the funding sources in the US and have been for many years. They both have a vested interest in demonstrating that the technologies they wish to market or to employ for national defense have no negative effects on individuals or the environment. Because researchers are required to sign privacy contracts (which can require that the industry funding source owns the results of the research and has ultimate control of what will be submitted for publication in scientific journals) researchers have been pressured to alter conclusions of their studies as well as to withhold their findings from publication until the funder gives its permission. Since 1997, in the US numerous laboratories have been closed due to loss of funding after their studies reported potentially adverse biological effects from exposure to RF radiation. Some of these labs had been in operation for 2 or 3 decades previous to losing industry funding.
Don Maisch
Doctors Without Borders
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0404.brownlee.html
To All - You may have heard this article discussed on NPR on May 6, 2004. Very similar conflicts exist within the scientific community that researches the biological effects of mobile phone and wireless telecommunication (radiofrequency - RF) radiation. Industry and the military are the funding sources in the US and have been for many years. They both have a vested interest in demonstrating that the technologies they wish to market or to employ for national defense have no negative effects on individuals or the environment. Because researchers are required to sign privacy contracts (which can require that the industry funding source owns the results of the research and has ultimate control of what will be submitted for publication in scientific journals) researchers have been pressured to alter conclusions of their studies as well as to withhold their findings from publication until the funder gives its permission. Since 1997, in the US numerous laboratories have been closed due to loss of funding after their studies reported potentially adverse biological effects from exposure to RF radiation. Some of these labs had been in operation for 2 or 3 decades previous to losing industry funding.
Don Maisch
Doctors Without Borders
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0404.brownlee.html
Starmail - 8. Mai, 17:29
