h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In a scientific trial on human subjects, it is surely only right to compensate the participants for their time and inconvenience. At what point, though, does the amount of money offered become coercive? And is their a problem with that?

http://scienceblogs.com/isisthescientist/2009/03/astronauts_head_down_tilt_and.php

TRiG.

119 days - four months - with no respite, for $17,000 (£11,500ish).

Doesn't seem coercive from here (google 'Average income UK').
It'd need to be rather more than twice that before Qs were asked, surely?

Anyway, 'coercive' in this context raises a question, innit?

I think that it would only be coercive if it was the only money you could get.

In any case, why worry about medical experiments; there are millions of people compelled to do much worse things. Chinese coal miner or farm labour comes to mind. At least with medical experiments there is something permanent to show for it.

I could actually do the thing described in the NASA experiments. I already spend a good portion of my waking day in bed, it's where I do most of my reading and thinking. I've many times thought about getting my computer to hang above my bed so when I get an inspiration in the middle of the night, it would be there to set it down.