
Ask HN: Why isn't there a “Manhattan project” for Covid19? - buboard
Trillions of money are being printed but the funding of specific efforts is not coordinated, apart from maybe the contributions of rich people like Gates. Lots of scientists are basically sitting idle.
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jka
COVID-19 has been called[1] a 'wicked problem'[2] -- tackling it requires
efforts across various social systems that may interact unpredictably.

That makes it challenging for organizers to set up and assign funding to one
individual project. Instead we're seeing lots of initiatives spring up to
improve outcomes in specific areas.

It'd be great to match people who want and are comfortably able to help with
effective, useful projects that need their skills.

From what I've seen so far around the Hacker Newsiverse, 'Help With Covid'[3]
seems to be a well-organized meta-organization that is responding to the
crisis, and I'd be glad to hear of others.

[1] -
[https://apnews.com/bee165affca84bf3f447453eb2034e13](https://apnews.com/bee165affca84bf3f447453eb2034e13)

[2] -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicked_problem)

[3] - [https://helpwithcovid.com/](https://helpwithcovid.com/)

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mytailorisrich
Lots of scientists are busy working on Covid19. I'd wager that there are more
of them working on Covid19 today than there were working on the Manhattan
project then.

The Manhattan project was also, and perhaps mostly, an industrial effort: 90%
of the budget went into industrial capability to produce the fissile material,
and it took years to achieve.

In industry if you invest twice as much you double your production capability,
but in research it does not add up that way. Things do not happen overnight
even if you offer to pay more, a la Trump.

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gshdg
The US at least no longer has the unity, trust, or will to coordinate
collective action through government.

