Google founders should stick to the Internet

Yesterday Google's co-founder, Larry Page, suggested to CNN that scientists should be approaching the big issues to make our world a better place. Implications were that Google has made the world a better place through an easier to use search engine. While I am not disagreeing that Google is in fact simpler to use than others, the question has to be raised "was this one of the big issues (Larry was talking about)?"

One of Larry's suggestions was for scientists to work on automated cars in order to reduce fatalities due to human error. It may be a slow process to commercialisation but there are already scientists working to automate vehicles. One such car is known as 'Stanley', designed by Sebastian Thrun (a 39 year old Stanford Professor) and his team. This is being supported by competitive projects at the Pentagon.

With the execption of this error, it may be fair to say that scientists need entrepreneurs. It would also be fair to conclude the reverse is true.

Sustainable business practices include responsibility to the environment and future society. Consider the philanthropic point of view adopted by many scientists who have researched medical ailments and the impact of our actions on the environment. To trivialise this kind of research because it is 'non commercial' is unfair to say the least.