The amount of money you give doesn't matter. What matters is who you give it to and for what purpose.
Specific conditions like Alzheimer's get massive research funding. But if the majority if that money had been invested in research targeted to expand basic knowledge of brain neurobiology, then we would be MUCH further along on real treatments that are actually effective.
When you invest heavily into research for one specific neurodegenerative disorder you are investing in specific and superficial symptom treatment. Investing in neurbio research expanding basic knowledge of the brain instead will give you more results in treating a wider range of neurodegenerative disorders.
In this specific context, I don't think appraising the total money Sergey Brin has given matters. I'm sure he has enough money to fund any/all decent research proposals. The decent proposals must come first though, one can't simply say he should be throwing X total number of dollars at a problem. Throwing more money at things does not always makes things better and sometimes can make things worse.
Comments
The amount of money you give doesn't matter. What matters is who you give it to and for what purpose.
Specific conditions like Alzheimer's get massive research funding. But if the majority if that money had been invested in research targeted to expand basic knowledge of brain neurobiology, then we would be MUCH further along on real treatments that are actually effective.
When you invest heavily into research for one specific neurodegenerative disorder you are investing in specific and superficial symptom treatment. Investing in neurbio research expanding basic knowledge of the brain instead will give you more results in treating a wider range of neurodegenerative disorders.
I totally agree with you on the importance of targeting, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that the "amount of money [...] doesn't matter".
A lot of money going to really good things is still better than a little money going to really good things.
In this specific context, I don't think appraising the total money Sergey Brin has given matters. I'm sure he has enough money to fund any/all decent research proposals. The decent proposals must come first though, one can't simply say he should be throwing X total number of dollars at a problem. Throwing more money at things does not always makes things better and sometimes can make things worse.