Monday, March 14, 2016

Quiz March 15

1. What constrains medical intervention in nature?

2. What embryonic stem-cell research compromise was supported by Bill Frist and Mitt Romney?

3. In what way does Sandel agree with Sen. Brownback about stem cell research?

4. What does not follow from the fact that the blastocyst is "human life"?

5. Under what conditions would pregnancy constitute a public health crisis?

6. Does Sandel support a ban on human reproductive cloning?


DQ:
1. What on your view would represent "hubris" on the part of medicine?

2. Discuss: "A human embryo is a human being just like you and me."106

3. Do you worry about a "slippery slope of dehumanizing practices" inevitably resulting from stem cell research? Why or why not? 112

4. Discuss: "The distinction between actual persons and potential ones is not without ethical significance." 117

5. Do you support a ban on human reproductive cloning?

==
Stem cells at TED...
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Eric W. Dolan (@EWDolan)
Toddler dies after anti-vaxx parents treat meningitis with maple syrup instead of medicinerawstory.com/2016/03/toddle… pic.twitter.com/DwrJXrkEp8

30 comments:

  1. DQ: Do you worry about a "slippery slope of dehumanizing practices" inevitably resulting from stem cell research? Why or why not?

    I do fear that as modern-day medical/scientific research continually expands into the realm of stem cell research that a much larger emphasis will be placed on research advances and less emphasis placed on the value of humanity. I say this because the trend that results from any type of discovery (I.E: Drugs, Lewd Behavior etc...), usually, involves an amount of desensitization which is driven by further discovery. Now, as Sandel mentioned, it is possible to institute laws and boundaries on these practices; but, the question remains at how much can a particular matter such as human research be regulated? In other words, these rules and regulations may also eventually be affected in the same way which research may be affected (I.E: Pushed Boundaries and Desensitization).

    Anyways, that's just my opinion on the discussion question!

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  2. Quiz Question:

    What slogan did Sandel use to summarize George W. Bush's policy on restricting federal funding of preexisting stem cell lines to prevent support/refutation against embryonic research?

    (pp. 119-120).

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  4. DQ: Do you support a ban on human reproductive cloning?

    Answer: When it comes to the subject of human reproductive cloning, I do support bans. I feel that without tight restriction, the level of cloning abuse would grow exponentially within the modern population. Humans should not be utilized as reproductive cloning subjects, and I when I look at the moral ethics behind this notion, it is difficult to see any good that could ensue.

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  5. Quiz Question: What are two main arguments against permitting embryonic stem cell research? (pg. 112)

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    Replies
    1. 1) it is wrong because it destroys a human embryo
      2) the slippery slope objections

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  6. Why was President Bush's "Don't Fund, Don't Ban" policy logically flawed?

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  7. This is an informative article that argues that a fetus is not a human being.

    http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml

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  8. This is an informative article that argues that a fetus is not a human being.

    http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/articles/fetusperson.shtml

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  9. A 2003 research study on the ethics and policies of human embryonic stem cells:

    http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/4/672.full#sec-11

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  10. DQ: "A human embryo is a human being just like you and me."?

    Answer: I think a human embryo is not a human being because it has not yet developed anything close to a complex nervous system. What makes us human is our advanced intellect and consciousness. I embryo is just a culture of cells in my opinion. Having said that, embryonic research should be regulated so the organism is not kept alive into the later stages of development and to ensure that it does not result in a slippery slope of unethical research.

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  11. Quiz question
    What are the two bases for the slippery slope objection to embryonic stem cell research?

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  12. Quiz Question:

    What does regarding an embryo as "a mere thing" do?

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  13. Do you worry about a "slippery slope of dehumanizing practices" inevitably resulting from stem cell research? Why or why not?

    Yes. History reveals a self-serving narrative to our species. We, as a whole, tend to use whatever is available--resources, emotional capital, human life--for our personal gain. America came at the cost of Native American life and freedom. Great knowledge and invention was discovered through theft and inhumane experimentation. We must acknowledge our natures and that the danger of our own self-interest is real. Embryos, cloning, whatever the case may be. It is absolutely vital that they not lose the respect that is afforded to them because of their connection--however tenuous we may think it be--to ourselves.

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  14. Quiz Question:

    What group of people attempted to persuade their listeners that two separate qualities linked by a continuum were the same?

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  15. DQ:
    Do you support a ban on human reproductive cloning?

    Answer:
    I don't support a ban on leftover embryos if they are going to be thrown away anyway. I do believe that there should always be regulations and there should be a ban on creating embryos for research purposes, because it seems ethically wrong. No, I don't believe embryos are "human beings", but I do believe they are the beginning of life.

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  16. Here is a cool article I found about how stem cells have been used in modern research to allow for regeneration of human lenses after surgical operation in order to restore vision!

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160309135653.htm

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  17. Quiz Question:

    What did the first bill the George W. Bush vetoed pertain to?

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    Replies
    1. Stem cell research
      "Congress had voted to fund new embryonic stem cell research, in which scientists isolate cells capable of becoming any tissue in the body. The President refused to go along with it." 100

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  18. Here is a link that talks about IVF and stem cells and many more controversial topics that I would honestly be much easier for you to watch the video and understand everything that is going on versus me trying to explain it. Anyways, it's really neat and you should check it out!

    http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2010/04/02/april-2-2010-embryonic-stem-cell-controversy/5995/

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  19. Discussion Question:

    If there is not any other option to save a child, is it ethical to conceive another child in hopes to use the second child's stem cells to cure the first child?

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  20. DQ: Do you support a ban on human reproductive cloning

    I can get behind a ban on human cloning. Mainly because there are too many ways that playing around with life can go wrong. Who's to say that the personality, development, strength, or mental capacity of these clones will even remotely resemble a human and i so what affects could this have on society? What if the military took control of this kind of technology, not to mention topics such as over population. Additionally when you consider the cost of cloning a dog's genetic info the cost of a human would be astronomical. To be frank. I basically dont believe that the pursuit of human cloning is a fruitful endeavor and even if it could be attained the results thereof would be underwhelming in my opinion

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  21. Here's a cool video i found on stem cell uses.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_OI4TtzlDw

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  22. Quiz Question: What was George W. Bush's alleged reasoning behind the stem cell veto?103

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    Replies
    1. Bush's press secretary stated that the President considered embryonic stem cell research to be "murder," something the federal government should not support. This statement was later retracted however after it met critical press attention.

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  23. DQ:
    What are the different types of stem cells and how do they differ? Do these differences make your outlook on the moralities of stem cells differ from each type or do you consider all stem cells the same?

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  24. DQ:
    How will the future, in your eyes, change if there were no bans or regulations on this area of research discussed in this chapter?

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  25. Quiz Question:
    Sandel argues that there is a difference between healing and what?

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  26. Michael Harber:

    Discussion question: Are human embryos justified for medical advancements made today and outweigh negative viewpoints?
    Article: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp048145

    ReplyDelete