Breakthroughs of all kinds have occurred for many centuries and are continuing to occur today. With each new breakthrough or discovery people continue to push the boundaries of our knowledge and the ways in which the knowledge is obtained. Though I claim to be no expert on the matter, I would like to discuss the issue of ethical restraint on scientific breakthrough.
A basic definition of science says that it is the systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through gained through observation and experimentation. Science’s biggest breakthroughs have occurred during some sort of experimentation, whether it is random fluke or planed genius. Each breakthrough has helped many people, some by easing everyday labor, some by easing the troubled minds and others have helped people live longer and healthier lives. Each innovation is said to promote a better future.
Each innovation not only widens our knowledge on aspects of everyday life, but it also pushes ethical acceptability to the approach to gain that knowledge. Today stem-cell research has become a topic of heated debate among experts in opposing fields. The fact that many stem-cells can be obtained from dead fetuses has aroused heated controversy from the more religious groups, which claim that stem-cell research is ethically wrong. Scientific breakthrough is constantly faces the ethical question is the experiment pushing too far, is it right to pursue this new knowledge and at what costs. This blog is designed to discuss the ethical boundaries scientist face in order to pursue their quest for knowledge.
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Whenever scientists make a remarkable discovery, it usually draws a lot of attention. In order to make new discoveries happen, scientists will need to experiment and explore.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of the double-stranded structure of DNA by Watson and Crick led to further research with genes and genetic mutations.
If scientists experiment with rats, form a conclusion then relate a rat's behavior to that of humans, then people will be skeptical because rats and humans are not EXACTLY the same. However, if scientists experiment with actual human cells, people think it's unethical. Oh, the dilemma...
That is an interesting idea, that to actually have a remarkable breakthrough one must draw the attention of many people. I am not so sure that I exactly agree with that because there are many important discoveries that have been made that have gone "unnoticed", but are instrumental for everyday life day.
ReplyDeleteSure there are discoveries that go unnoticed, but don't you think eventually everyone will find out over time as word spreads by mouth and by media?
ReplyDelete(oh yea...I'm ATD.I just changed my name)
In fact they would notice them over time, but how long would it take? The pencil is a phenomenal breakthrough but to us it is just another tool, we do not think of it as anything special. People take many things for granted, and there is no real way to tell if anyone would give the unnoticed breakthrough much attention. Such as the example of a pencil, it is fundamental to almost everything people do today, but the real impact of this breakthrough is never realized.
ReplyDeleteYea you have a point. I remember when the professor asked us what was going on in world affairs and barely anyone knew about it (but I think you did :p). We are sometimes confined in our own "box" and do not think outside of it. Looking at the world from a larger context and appreciating the things is something that people should do.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the pencil example, there are several small things in life that people do not stop to appreciate. We take things for granted. Countries that are underdeveloped will see this pencil tool as something to appreciate, whereas for us, pencils are an aspect of the daily academic life. It is hard to stop and appreciate the small things in this type of society today...
In all relaity you are right. It is sad to think that these are the facts of life but they are not things that will likely change anytime soon. People in the world have busy lives and do not have time to stop and appreciate the smaller things in life.
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