Scientific Integrity and the Ethics of 'Utter Honesty'; The MIT Press Reader, April 2022

Robert T. Pennock, The MIT Press Reader ; Scientific Integrity and the Ethics of 'Utter Honesty'

"Integrity in science involves a community of practice, unified by its shared values."

Vote now in the 2022 Morgridge Ethics Cartooning Competition; Morgridge Institute for Research, February 11, 2022

Morgridge Institute for Research ; Vote now in the 2022 Morgridge Ethics Cartooning Competition

"Sixteen cartoons have been selected as finalists in the 2022 Ethics Cartooning Competition, an annual contest sponsored by the Morgridge Institute. 

The competition encourages ethics conversations and deliberation among scientists conducting biomedical research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and affiliated biomedical research centers or institutes.

A panel of judges has chosen the following cartoons for display to the public. You can vote below and help determine the 2022 winners! 

This year’s cartoons depict a variety of research ethics topics, such as the ethics of scientific funding and publishing, the moral status of brain organoids, the ethics of experimenting on animals, environmental and social impacts of science, and problems of communication between scientists and non-scientists."

The government dropped its case against Gang Chen. Scientists still see damage done; WBUR, February 16, 2022

Max Larkin, WBUR ; The government dropped its case against Gang Chen. Scientists still see damage done

"When federal prosecutors dropped all charges against MIT professor Gang Chen in late January, many researchers rejoiced in Greater Boston and beyond.

Chen had spent the previous year fighting charges that he had lied and omitted information on U.S. federal grant applications. His vindication was a setback for the "China Initiative," a controversial Trump-era legal campaign aimed at cracking down on the theft of American research and intellectual property by the Chinese government.

Researchers working in the United States say the China Initiative has harmed both their fellow scientists and science itself — as a global cooperative endeavor. But as U.S.-China tensions remain high, the initiative remains in place." 

A Plea from Cleveland Clinic; December 21, 2021

12/21/21 email from Cleveland Clinic:

A Plea from Cleveland Clinic

"This past month has been sobering for many of us in healthcare. Nearly two years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’re seeing some of the highest volumes of patients with the disease in hospitals throughout the Midwest.

"Here at Cleveland Clinic, we’re caring for more than 800 patients with COVID-19 at our Ohio hospitals. Of these patients, more than 200 are in the intensive care unit. The majority of these patients are unvaccinated.  

Our Ohio emergency departments are filled. We have people waiting to get into our hospitals. Neighboring hospitals in our communities are facing the same issues. 

We’ve had to postpone many non-urgent surgeries in Ohio as we try to leave enough space for patients with COVID-19. Our physicians, nurses and caregivers are working around-the-clock to care for these sick patients. They are exhausted.  

Today, we come to you with a plea. Get vaccinated. Please. Whether you are due for your booster shot, undecided about getting your child vaccinated or have been leery of the vaccine all along. The science is clear. Vaccines save lives. Please, get vaccinated.

For those of you who have lost a loved one to COVID-19 this year, we extend our deepest sympathies. We feel your loss. We share in your grief. We, too, are heartbroken.

The only way we can get through this is together. Please do your part for yourself, your family and your community. Get vaccinated. Wear your mask, wash your hands and stay home if you're feeling ill. 

Cleveland Clinic will always be here for you when you need compassionate, high-quality care. The sun will rise tomorrow morning, and with it will bring renewed hope for a better day. 

We wish you and yours a joyous holiday season & a happy and healthy New Year."

Our greatest libraries are melting away; The Washington Post, April 7, 2021

David Farrier , The Washington Post; Our greatest libraries are melting away

 

"Spending time in the library of ice reminds us that our history is bound up with that of the planet. As that library comes under ever increasing risk, we should remember the fate of another great library. Legend tells that the Library of Alexandria burned to the ground, but the truth is less spectacular. As the Roman Empire fell into decline, people simply neglected to protect and preserve the fragile papyrus manuscripts that were stored in the Library of Alexandria. Gone with it were the greatest treasures of the ancient world: hundreds of years of civilizations’ stories, memories, knowledge and wisdom.

The greatest library in history was lost to neglect. Unless we act now, the library of ice will meet the same fate."

How false hope spread about hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19 — and the consequences that followed; The Washington Post, April 13, 2020

Elyse Samuels and Meg Kelly , The Washington Post; How false hope spread about hydroxychloroquine to treat covid-19 — and the consequences that followed

"The science 

As attention on the drugs became even more prolific — online, in the media and from the president — scientists say there is only “anecdotal evidence” on the drugs. To a layperson, that may not sound bad, but it’s actually an insult in the scientific community.

Anecdotal evidence refers to people’s personal stories about taking the drugs and has no basis in scientific data. It’s akin to a Yelp review."

The flat-Earth conspiracy is spreading around the globe. Does it hide a darker core?; CNN, November 18, 2019

Rob Picheta, CNN; The flat-Earth conspiracy is spreading around the globe. Does it hide a darker core?

"But the alleged rapid growth of a movement so enthusiastically rejecting fundamental scientific beliefs does have some worried.

"It seems that increasingly, people don't trust scientists and experts, or their motives," Douglas says. "More research needs to be done in this area, and I'm sure there are some positive consequences to believing in conspiracy theories, but early indications suggests that they are more harm than help.""

New Florida Law Lets Residents Challenge School Textbooks; NPR, July 31, 2017

Greg Allen, NPR: New Florida Law Lets Residents Challenge School Textbooks

"More recently, the group has turned its attention to the books being used in Florida's schools. A new state law, developed and pushed through by Flaugh's group, allows parents, and any residents, to challenge the use of textbooks and instructional materials they find objectionable via an independent hearing."

Quiet Please, Episode 89: "If I Should Wake Before I Die"; Old Time Radio Downloads, Air Date: February 27, 1949

Old Time Radio Downloads; Quiet Please, Episode 89: "If I Should Wake Before I Die" 

[Kip Currier: Heard this cautionary tale--first aired in 1949--on Radio Classics this weekend. Especially prescient and timely, in light of real-world stories like this one, calling for ethics education in IT programs: Lack of ethics education for computer programmers shocks expert]

"Plot: He is the epitome of the word "mad scientist." This top scientist doesn't care whether his inventions have already vastly altered the world, all that he cares about is the vast amount of knowledge that he acquires in his research. What the world sees as a destructive weapon is nothing more but a mere scribble of equations for him. The world is starting to reach a crucial point when human knowledge has become dangerous and unwise."

The Russification of America; New York Times, February 21, 2017

Roger Cohen, New York Times; 

The Russification of America

"I’m skeptical of Trump ever running a disciplined administration. His feelings about Europe are already clear and won’t change. The European Union needs to step into the moral void by standing unequivocally for the values that must define the West: truth, facts, reason, science, tolerance, freedom, democracy and the rule of law. For now it’s unclear if the Trump administration is friend or foe in that fight."

Juno probe enters Jupiter's orbit after 'amazing' Nasa mission – as it happened; Guardian, 7/5/16

Michael Slezak, Guardian; Juno probe enters Jupiter's orbit after 'amazing' Nasa mission – as it happened:

"Well, what a day. What an achievement.

After a five year journey from Earth, Juno the solar-powered spacecraft squeezed through a narrow band, skimming Jupiter’s surface, avoiding the worst of both its radiation belt and its dangerous dust rings.

It fired its main engine, slowing its velocity, and allowing it to get captured into Jupiter’s hefty orbit.

After it was complete, jubilant scientists fronted a press conference, and tore up a “contingency communication strategy” they said they prepared in case things went wrong.

“To know we can go to bed tonight not worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow, is just amazing,” said Diane Brown, a project manager from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Scott Bolton, principle investigator of the Juno mission told his colleagues: “You’re the best team ever! We just did the hardest thing Nasa has ever done.”"