CSIRO abandons 'science for science sake'

CSIRO boss Larry Marshall - no
more "science for science sake".

Australia's national science organisation planned to stop "doing science for science sake" and would no longer do "public good" work unless it was linked to jobs and economic growth, according to internal emails between CSIRO senior managers.

The emails contradict claims that the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation has remained committed to research that does not bring in revenue, and illustrate the scale of the restructure planned under new chief executive Larry Marshall.

Under Dr Marshall, CSIRO has shifted its focus to making money to pay for its work. The vision sees the iconic Australian science organisation as an "innovation catalyst".

Read the story by Adam Morton and Peter Hannam in today’s Melbourne Age - “No 'science fors cience sake': emails show CSIRO plans to cut climate research.”

 

(The neoliberal philosophy of profit regardless of cost now proliferates at the CSIRO or, to be fair, at least in the upper echelons of the body’s hierarchy. New CEO, Larry Marshall see the organization as an innovation centre and will not involve itself in working for the “public good” unless it was linked to jobs and economic growth.

This is a sad and short-sighted situation for until we better understand both the implications and complications of climate change, answers found best through science, then the much sought after neoliberal jobs and growth are unlikely to eventuate.

In fact, just today, or report estimated climate change implications could cost the world economy trillions of dollars – surely working to help the world avoid the worst of that is a “public good” – Robert McLean.)