Nothing Human

[cosmic mouse]

This was an interesting and very thought-provoking episode in my opinion. The subject of research ethics is a complex issue and one could very well spend their entire lives theorizing, researching, and debating the topic. There are plenty of animal rights activists, for example, who take vitamins, insulin, and other drugs and supplements that have been brought to market (so speak) and developed from the research and use of non-human animals. Sometimes cell cultures don't cut it and a living system is required for advancements in medical research. That might be sub-topic to this one, and one I could go on about (pondering and speculating) until the end of days.

Personally, I don't agree with the Cardassian hologram being taken offline at the end, but that's a topic that's totally open to debate and I would be mightily interested to hear others' thoughts on the matter.

 

[Sophie74656]

It is a tricky subject. When it comes to medications that can cure or treat terrible diseases, is animal use durring development justified?

As for the episode, regarding B'Elanna's wishes....I understand where she's coming from but I understand the position the Captain is in. Without B'elanna how far would Voyager get? Without her Voyager wouldn't survive.

 

[cosmic mouse]

It is a tricky subject. When it comes to medications that can cure or treat terrible diseases, is animal use durring development justified?
.

It is a very tricky subject and, as with most ethical considerations, there are many views on the matter... and none of them are wrong.
Regarding the justification of animal use for new medications or medical advancements they all have to be scientifically justified (at least those that are receiving Federal funding anyway) in order just get the study even approved and that's prelim before any protocol amendments or modifications, etc (which typically occur in real time as the study advances). Not only animal use, but species have to be justified (e.g. if the same work can be done with a fruit fly as opposed to a mouse, then the fruit fly must be used since it's considered a "lower" form of life). There are many theoretical scientific questions that simply cannot be accomplished without a living, biological system. I long for the day when this is not needed and computer simulations and cell cultures can be substituted, but we are realistically & technologically not there yet.

Regarding the use of past data being used and advanced upon: I am wholly, and unequivocally in support if this because this actually reduces animal use and raises the "baseline" so to speak, which serves as a launching pad for future scientific advancement. That's why I disagree with taking the Cardassian hologram offline. To me that represents a denial of sorts of the unethical stages that have already occurred and possibly a rejection of past data, which will hinder progress.Basically, it means that experiments may be repeated unecessarily, which could increase the use of animal systems, rather than reduce them.

This is oneof my favorite posters from my field:

 

[Six of Twelve]

they didn't just take Crell Moset offline; they deleted his program and all the files relating to his work and research to make the information irretrievable even if they changed their minds about using the program at a later date. Indeed, just keeping the program offline would have been a compromise between what Moset wanted (to be left running as the Doctor's research assistant) and what B'Elanna and Tabor wanted (Deletion of program and research to irretrievable status). If he'd merely been taken offline, he could have been reactivated any time he was needed. But in the end, the Doctor did what B'Elanna and Tabor wanted, except not as soon as they wanted it done and without letting B'Elanna die first.

FWIW, I would have made the same decision Janeway did and I'd have agreed with the points Tom made.

After all, it's not as if letting B'Elanna die would have brought Tabor's grandfather back or any of the others. Nor was this the real Moset, who was beyond punishment in the Alpha Quadrant.

And there would have been no controversy at all had Harry and the Doctor put Moset's research into a generic looking hologram.

 

[cosmic mouse]

they didn't just take Crell Moset offline; they deleted his program and all the files relating to his work and research to make the information irretrievable even if they changed their minds about using the program at a later date.

...even worse, pretty much despicable, and I recalled that but did not want to hammer it in my OP. IMHO, of course

FWIW, I would have made the same decision Janeway did and I'd have agreed with the points Tom made.

Agreed