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Comment by rowanG077 | Hacker News Reader

How do you expect the industry to manage this? We can't even scientifically test whether the different foods we eat are harmful or good for us.

I think humanity will have to face consequences and start paying people to possibly sacrifice their health for the greater good. It's just not possible to in any other way I think.

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Unfortunately, while human trials might in some perfect world be a workable idea, under capitalism we have a perpetual underclass of people who are kept at wages low enough that they would be willing to do almost anything to get a bit more money. So paying people to sacrifice their health turns into another form of abuse that poor people will endure.

This is true. There are no clean solutions.

Howabout ban the use of any packaging material that hasn't been proven safe? Allow human trials by corporate executives that wish to risk their health determining safety?

The question is exactly in it: how do you prove them safe?

OK, let's require a proof of income above the national average from the applicants. Any better now?

"It sucks to be poor; you can't even sell a piece of your health for a greater good of humankind and some good money. Only the rich folks are entitled to that."

The quotation raises an interesting point about equality. Maybe it'd be better to make there be no payment at all, then anyone who wants to participate _purely out of concern for the greater good and for no other reason_ would get an equal chance, and there wouldn't be perverse incentives then.

How many people are going to volunteer to consume potentially dangerous substances for free?

We could require that corporate executives trial the substances as part of the approval process for new materials...

Probably the most ethically sound solution. My perception of reality suggests that entire multinationals would flee any country that even murmured about such things.

I think you are right! And good riddance :)

Not exactly the same, but as a current example there have been no problems finding volunteers for the new challenge trials for covid vaccines. Some people find genuine pleasure from helping the greater good.

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