JohannesGunn Posted December 2, 2010 Share Posted December 2, 2010 (edited) Okay, one of my long-time friends is involved in a research project which just received funding from the Department of Defense, and as a condition of that funding, all his research is now classified. What are YOUR feelings on the matter? Should they be able to make secrecy a condition for funding research? Edited December 2, 2010 by JohannesGunn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboUK Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 If they are paying for it then it's really up to them, without knowing more about it it's hard to comment further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaosblade02 Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 Yes if it is agreed that it is classified when you take the contract, if you don't agree to keep it classified, then you probably wont get the contract. And if you go against your contract and expose and leak information, you deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marharth Posted December 3, 2010 Share Posted December 3, 2010 Yes in all situations... If your getting funding from the DOD they see a great military purpose with what you are doing, so it will most likely be used later on in combat or with other things we couldn't let enemies know about. EX: I could be working on a device that would allow you to shrink yourself, even if you have no purpose in using it for military things, the DOD WILL NOT fund it unless they see a good defense purpose for it. They have to keep this shrink ray secret, so when they do decide to use it, no one will know about it. Get what I am saying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohannesGunn Posted December 3, 2010 Author Share Posted December 3, 2010 Yes in all situations... If your getting funding from the DOD they see a great military purpose with what you are doing, so it will most likely be used later on in combat or with other things we couldn't let enemies know about. EX: I could be working on a device that would allow you to shrink yourself, even if you have no purpose in using it for military things, the DOD WILL NOT fund it unless they see a good defense purpose for it. They have to keep this shrink ray secret, so when they do decide to use it, no one will know about it. Get what I am saying?Actually, I do. Something like a shrink ray would have vast military importance. You could shrink just about anything, from tanks to aircraft carriers. But Silly Putty was also once classified as Secret, because it was invented while they were looking for new explosives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurielius Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 I think it's simple if one decides that the only way to further a research project is to accept the funding from the DOD then their preconditions of secrecy are the price you pay for their bucks. It is unlikely that the DOD is going to pay for a new method of flower arrangements, they must see a military potential in the project and it would be foolish to expose a potential weapon in advance of it's use in the field, countermeasures would something that you prefer that the enemy has to play catch up with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vagrant0 Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 But Silly Putty was also once classified as Secret, because it was invented while they were looking for new explosives.And here I was convinced that it came about from research seeking non-toxic food substitutes for educational institutions. Anyway, yeah, pretty much what everyone here said. If the DOD is paying the bill, they get to call the shots and have the first crack at it. It's just part of the contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadMansFist849 Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 Well, it depends--if you agreed not to share the info with other people, then stick to your agreement. Simple as that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Surenas Posted December 4, 2010 Share Posted December 4, 2010 (edited) To each their own, np.What one does postdoctorally is up to the scholar. I still leave it open cos I've financed the university education myself. I'm free, fortunately. Anyway. Research lives on free sharing results, the existential bloodstream as it is in the modding community here on the Nexus. Now, if one has to deny sharing due to untimely bondage but quite obviously has to suck up shared material of others - nothing comes from nothing in research, folks - then the payed servant of the company is not part of the scholarly community. Remarkably enough, both scholarly and modding community share one and the same principle of restricted freedom - permitted use for credit in the bibliographical notes ('the readme') of the future research papers. Guess we deal here with the enlisted civil auxiliary of the military, the proverbial Dr Ubermans. I'd recommend a termed officer runway in the army instead, cos one is hardly to be blamed later for ordered research results and at no stage to be fooled about the actual aim and utility of the military program one is or was involved. Shabbat Shalom b'Shem Edited December 4, 2010 by Surenas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohannesGunn Posted December 4, 2010 Author Share Posted December 4, 2010 You all make valid points. I hereby concede the argument.I'd also like to point out that I removed the articles based on his research before I started this thread, which was a little... disappointing.They were cool articles. :P Still, not worth him losing his funding, and me possibly going to jail, so they had to go...Thank you all for responding, and if the Moderators wish, they can lock this thread now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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