[the_rectifier]

This is exactly how manipulation is done and the reason for companies to do the funding.

[toxik]

It’s much less sinister than that. Facebook funds PhDs in some fields because they want experts in that field to a) exist, b) like Facebook.

[droopyEyelids]

Even the way you're phrasing it, sounds like PhDs don't get to a) exist without Facebook's blessing

[toxik]

It is generally the case that things don't exist without funding, correct. Different countries have different political consensus on how much tax money to pour into funding PhDs for basic research, but /all/ do to some extent as far as I know.

I think you should read Sapiens by Harrari, he writes about the interaction between universities, capitalism and democracy. Very illuminating to me.