While I don’t entirely agree with biologist Ronald Pasterk in the following interview — his quote smacks a little too much of a tradesman irked at upstarts who have it too easy — I still think he makes a good point about the current ardor for systems biology:
The fundamental misconception of systems biology advocates is that one could create a ‘virtual cell’, and use big computers to model life and make discoveries. None of these modellers ever predicted that small microRNAs would play a role. One makes discoveries by watching, working, checking. They want to be Darwin, but do not want to waste years on the Beagle. They want sex but no love, icing but no cake. Scientific pornography.
– from Current Biology (Vol. 15, Issue 21)
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