May 28, 2004

Thumbing His Nose at Academe, a Scholar Tries to Auction His Services

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

CO-AUTHOR FOR SALE: In a society devoted to "reality shows" and rampant commodification, it had to happen some time. Late last month an independent scientist auctioned off his services as a co-author on eBay, with the promise of helping the highest bidder write a scientific paper for publication. The offer even had the added allure of a linkage with the legendary mathematician Paul Erdös.

But a few researchers saw the online auction as a net negative. Jose Burillo, an associate

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