Pulitzer Prize-winner Amy Harmon and a panel of bioethics experts addressed the problems facing their field in light of technological advances as part of a Kraft Program Series on Tuesday.
Entitled “The Reach of Science: Ethical Questions in Science and Medicine,” the conversation reflected the growing importance of bioethics to the scientific and health care communities. The topics ranged from human genetic engineering, to gene patenting, to medical obligations, to the preservation of life of brain-dead patients.
The panel of lawyers, physicians, and writers presented cases in which financial issues and religious beliefs often lead professionals into gray ethical territory.
Dr. Wendy Chung, the director of clinical genetics at Columbia University, began with a look at the consequences of allowing parents to genetically alter their children’s traits. Her topic explored the potential for a genetically stratified society, where parents who do not use gene modification either belong to a lower class or are seen as irresponsible.
The co-founder of the Center for Bioethics at Columbia University, Dr. Ruth Fischbach, spoke about the slippery slope of many bioethical dilemmas. She cited an article where functional MRI—a technique which images levels of activity in different parts of the brain—was used to examine a test group’s political preferences. Fischbach explored the reliability of fMRI technology, as well as its potential applications in national security, character analysis, and intelligence gathering.
Although no philosophical conclusions were reached, the program ultimately pointed out the need for more dialogue.
There is “no closure to [human] creativity,” said professor Robert Pollack, former dean of Columbia College and the director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Science, stressing that new ethical dilemmas will emerge and will need examination in the future.
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