Evil science and playing god (warning: long)

[Lagmonster]

I just heard a semi-rant from my cousin, who works with an environmental engineering group in Toronto. He says that they've been trying for months to gain approval to do research in certain areas, but they CANNOT get approval in many cases because the government largely deems a disconcerting amount of biological research and engineering too controversial or unsafe, REGARDLESS of how beneficial its products could be.

What I want to know is, how can researchers get all the moolah and approval they want to build a better bomb, but the biological engineers are hissed at for 'playing God' whenever they want to do something like clone a sheep or engineer a goddamned bug that eats the toxic crap we flush down the john?

And the list is huge. The local hospital research ethics committee are still yelling about stem cell research (the most noise coming from the pastor. I cannot believe that the godamned HUMAN medical research ethics council has a fucking pastor. We're in the dark ages up here.). Our department has been sitting on unfinished or suggested research avenues for YEARS. For every advance you see come to fruition in the grocery store or on the farm or in the pharmacy, a lot more just gathers dust on the shelf because the government refuses to allow something that pulls criticism from the 'don't play God' crowd.

[Stormbringer]

I'm not suprised, sadden but not suprise at all. People seem to assume every scientist is one step away from Frankenstien. A lot of them have no idea how things actually work and so they oppose anything that smacks of "playing god". It's stupid but people, as a whole, are dumb.

[Lagmonster]

It's not always government, either. I have driven to work through a crowd of 'don't hurt the animals' people. Seriously. I'm sure their cause was so helped since I couldn't get to my work WHERE WE HELP FIND CURES TO COMMON AILMENTS IN FARM ANIMALS.

Of COURSE we have to fry up a lab rat. That's what they're FOR. If these people saw one in their kitchen they'd kill it with a baseball bat, you know they would.

Why can't these assholes go and protest the building of a highway that cuts through some poor cluster of creature's homes or something. It's not even like any medical benefit will ever come from the piles of roadkill that result from THAT.

[TrailerParkJawa]

It's not always government, either. I have driven to work through a crowd of 'don't hurt the animals' people. Seriously. I'm sure their cause was so helped since I couldn't get to my work WHERE WE HELP FIND CURES TO COMMON AILMENTS IN FARM ANIMALS.

Of COURSE we have to fry up a lab rat. That's what they're FOR. If these people saw one in their kitchen they'd kill it with a baseball bat, you know they would.

Why can't these assholes go and protest the building of a highway that cuts through some poor cluster of creature's homes or something. It's not even like any medical benefit will ever come from the piles of roadkill that result from THAT.

Ive met people like this, they are usually very wound up in themselves and do not understand or empathize with human suffering.

[Wicked Pilot]

Those people need to either volunteer themselves to have research done on them, or shut the fuck up.

[Stormbringer]

Those people need to either volunteer themselves to have research done on them, or shut the fuck up.

Indeed, if it's so bad to test on animals find people willing to do it and we'll leave the animals alone.

[Wicked Pilot]

Just to clarify, I'm all for testing on animals for real medical and scientific benefits, not for frivilous reasons like cosmetic purposes.

[TrailerParkJawa]

Just to clarify, I'm all for testing on animals for real medical and scientific benefits, not for frivilous reasons like cosmetic purposes.

I think most of us here feel that way. When I get irrational about people like this, I usually say they should be made to sign a pledge not to benefit from any medical advances that used animal testing. ( ie: They get sick and can be cured by medicine X. But medicine X used monkeys in a lab to pass QA. So said individuals should volunteer for forgo medicine X and would expire )

But you know they wouldnt. They would scream for the medicine and expect it to be provided at below cost either by the company or middle class tax payers.

[Antediluvian]

I just heard a semi-rant from my cousin, who works with an environmental engineering group in Toronto. He says that they've been trying for months to gain approval to do research in certain areas, but they CANNOT get approval in many cases because the government largely deems a disconcerting amount of biological research and engineering too controversial or unsafe, REGARDLESS of how beneficial its products could be.

What I want to know is, how can researchers get all the moolah and approval they want to build a better bomb, but the biological engineers are hissed at for 'playing God' whenever they want to do something like clone a sheep or engineer a goddamned bug that eats the toxic crap we flush down the john?

And the list is huge. The local hospital research ethics committee are still yelling about stem cell research (the most noise coming from the pastor. I cannot believe that the godamned HUMAN medical research ethics council has a fucking pastor. We're in the dark ages up here.). Our department has been sitting on unfinished or suggested research avenues for YEARS. For every advance you see come to fruition in the grocery store or on the farm or in the pharmacy, a lot more just gathers dust on the shelf because the government refuses to allow something that pulls criticism from the 'don't play God' crowd.

That crowd has apparently forgotten that we "play God" all the time.

Like selectively breeding animals, reshaping our enviroment, controlling forces like electricity, etc.

Strangely, no one has a problem with that. Huh.

[Durandal]

We've also recreated particles that don't exist anymore in particle accelerators. Uh oh! Watch out! Those particles were meant to die out! God might be mad if we recreate them for a few nanoseconds!

[Lagmonster]

I know it's not necessarily true, but it often just feels like there are areas of science that evoke no moral questions or criticism from faith leaders, but should, whereas other nearly harmless fields get calls to prohibition and legal restriction because they violate religious tenets or the delicate sensibilities of the squeamish.

[Darth Wong]

Religion and science have been enemies for centuries. Anyone who denies that is either lying to himself or a blithering idiot.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Religion and science have been enemies for centuries. Anyone who denies that is either lying to himself or a blithering idiot.

[AshKetchum]I Choose You SCIENCE! I Choose You LOGIC! I Choose You PIKACHU!!![/AshKetchum]
Pikachu? I think I got carried away, but I think i made my point and declared my allegiance. Lata and Watch Out for Fundy Pokemon!

[Spoonist]

->Lagmonster
Give your cousin the advice all sensible scientists are given in that situation.

Move or branch out.

Right now stem research is legal in most of northern europe and asia.

Japan for instance don't have that pesky christian problem that northern america has.
Now since it is harder to move to asia and to collaborate with asians (for a north american) I'd go with northern Europe.