

Norbert Wiener: The Eccentric Genius Whose Time May Have Finally Come (Again) - MichaelAO
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/norbert-wiener-the-eccentric-genius-whose-time-may-have-finally-come-again/372607/

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bediger4000
This is actually a pretty good article. It points out that Wiener "refused,
for ethical reasons, to accept research contracts from the military or from
corporations seeking to exploit his ideas". If the article had given an
explanation of "exploit", this would be very informative, as well as
intereesting. How many other scientists refuse grants for ethical reasons like
Wiener's? Was Wiener just being weird?

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danelectro
In the '70's a research equipment supplier named Instruments for Research &
Industry (now part of Glas-Col) would not sell to the military. Company was
founded in 1939, I do not know if that was their policy as far back as WWII
but it definitely was during Vietnam War.

Since those times as a teenager my greatest hesitation to growth is due to the
possibility of my technology getting out of control with negative net
consequences, and have put significant effort to avoid that happening.

Over 40years the one constant which would appear to allow growth without this
risk is to choose a capitalist more carefully than one would choose me.

I may be weird but I'm not just being weird.

I was influenced by Wall Street (I was a teenage stockbroker) and would still
look forward to a corporation exploiting one of my efforts in a positive way
if the structure was properly supportive.

