Conference Program

Tutorial Track 2

Title:  Bioinformatics: How it's Future Might be Tied to Ethics
Presenter:  Dr. Arthur Zucker, Ohio University
Abstract: Scientists would like to be trusted and in general they ought to be trusted. But to think that this will happen, especially as new technologies flow from advances in science, is naive.  To think that this will happen especially in light of the very recent stem cell fraud case in South Korea and the finding released by many medical journals is very naive. The best way for scientists to insure their autonomy (and it cannot be complete autonomy from the public) is to consider in advance, as much as is possible, what issues the public might have with their science and technology and try to forestall obstructive responses to it.  This may mean expanding what counts as both the practice of science and the teaching of science to include thinking about ethical and social implications of science. 

Back to Schedule