Michael Jones, Google’s “chief technology advocate,” is ready to make a deal: Money for data.

In a rambling, philosophical and frequently humorous talk on the nature of information Monday night, he chided a room full of scientists for hoarding data and discoveries as they work on interpretations worthy of certain prestigious science journals. When that approach fails, the science often gets lost in any number of niche journals. The result is a “spiral of information death,” he says, that can only slow scientific progress at a time when speed is needed.

“It’s your business, not mine,” he said. “But I live on the same planet as you, and I would like to see it all work.”

His solution? Boost funding, and then require scientists tapping into these new funds to share their raw data and discoveries as they become available. That way the critical information is out there, and the discoverer can compete along with everybody else on the interpretation, which Jones believes would hasten competition and produce useful results in a more timely fashion. “The privilege of being paid to discover comes with an obligation to share with mankind,” he said.

Without going into specifics, he said Google’s philanthropic arm tends to think along these lines when scientists request money. He also said the Google team presented these ideas in a meeting with US President-Elect Barack Obama’s transition team, which is mulling an expansion of the science budget. It wasn’t clear what kind of reception they received.

The picture is undoubtedly a bit more complex than he suggests, of course, but Jones was out to provoke. Whether he convinced anybody is another question. His call for openness drew a sudden round of applause at one point – from a half-dozen people, give or take one or two.

Michael Jones, Google’s “chief technology advocate,” is ready to make a deal: Money for data.

In a rambling, philosophical and frequently humorous talk on the nature of information Monday night, he chided a room full of scientists for hoarding data and discoveries as they work on interpretations worthy of certain prestigious science journals. When that approach fails, the science often gets lost in any number of niche journals. The result is a “spiral of information death,” he says, that can only slow scientific progress at a time when speed is needed.

“It’s your business, not mine,” he said. “But I live on the same planet as you, and I would like to see it all work.”

His solution? Boost funding, and then require scientists tapping into these new funds to share their raw data and discoveries as they become available. That way the critical information is out there, and the discoverer can compete along with everybody else on the interpretation, which Jones believes would hasten competition and produce useful results in a more timely fashion. “The privilege of being paid to discover comes with an obligation to share with mankind,” he said.

Without going into specifics, he said Google’s philanthropic arm tends to think along these lines when scientists request money. He also said the Google team presented these ideas in a meeting with US President-Elect Barack Obama’s transition team, which is mulling an expansion of the science budget. It wasn’t clear what kind of reception they received.

The picture is undoubtedly a bit more complex than he suggests, of course, but Jones was out to provoke. Whether he convinced anybody is another question. His call for openness drew a sudden round of applause at one point – from a half-dozen people, give or take one or two.