7/31/2019 Science and War (and Ethics)
1/1
IntheNationalWorldWarIImuseum,itiseasyandeventriumphantandpride-generatingtolookbackandseesomeofthescientificadvancesmadeduringWorldWarII.Theresnodoubtthatscienceisadvancing.ButIwonderifourethicscankeeppace.IamfairlyproudofTeflon.Andsyntheticcortisoneiswidelyusedandmayhavesavedplentyoflives.Itsasteroidthatknocksdowntheactionoftheimmunesystem.Whenamedicalsubstancebecomescheaperandeasiertouseandknowntothepublic,thenitrunsarealdangerofgettingoverused.Mostconcernaboutoveruseisfocusedonillegalsteroidstakenbyathletes.Nevertheless,everythingthatcanbehelpfulandfastmaymakethingsworse.Oneexamplewouldbetheover-prescribingofsteroidstokidswithallergies.PenicillinhadbeeninventedbeforeWWII,butitsusedidnotbecomewidespreaduntilWWII.Ofcourse,ittookpeopleawhiletofindoutabouttheabilityofbacteriatodevelopresistancestoantibiotics.Thishasledtonewerandstrongerantibiotics,whichwouldnotbetheworstthingintheworld.Unfortunately,theexcessiveuseofantibioticshasledtountreatableinfections,suchasmethicilline-resistantstrepandanuntreatablestrainoftuberculosis.Nevertheless,wehadadvances.IthinkseveralhadsomethingtodowithGermanscientistsescapingtoournation.Ifsomeoneasked,Iwouldhavebeenhard-pressedtoidentifyscientificadvances
fromourpresenceinwarssuchastheonesinAfghanistanandIraq.However,Irecentlyfoundabunchofpressreleasesaboutadvancedplasticsurgeryrepairofveterans.Iamsuretheappearanceofthesepressreleaseshasmoretodowiththeproximityofanationalelectionthanitdoeswithanybodyshungerforscientificadvancements.Myfavoriteistheoneaboutlabgrowngenitalsandsprayonskin.Theseareadmittedlygreatadvances.Skingraftscanbedamnhardtogettotake,sotheideaisseductivebeyondwords.Ihaveheardofnewears.Theyseemtobetalkingexternalearsmorecosmeticthanfunctionalbutthisisareallygoodthing.Badlimbsaregettingfixedorreplaced,whichisgoodnews.Themostmindbogglingprojectdescribedismenwhohavelosttheirpenisesandaregrowingnewones.Thishypothesis,includingfunctionality,hasbeentestedonrabbits.
Allresearch,humanoranimal,hastogothroughsomekindofcommitteetodeterminescientificmeritaswellashowhumaneitis.Itishardtoimagineanyonepermittingresearchthatinvolvedcastratingrabbits.Iamnotoneofyouranti-vivisectionfolks,butallIcanimaginehereisBugsBunnygrabbinghiscrotchandgivingnewmeaningtothequeryofWhatsup,Doc?ImhappytosayIcangetastthatone,asthisisobviouslyagreatadvanceinmedicineforhumans.Hasnobodynoticedthattheseadvancescomeatalevelandfrequencyofwarcasualtythatisprettydamnedscary?Wearesendingpeopleyoungandhealthypeopletoaplacefromwhichtheyrunanon-negligibleriskoflosingbodyparts.Badidea.Psychologically,thiscouldgiveusnewadvancesinkindsofsuffering,suchasasubsetofpost-traumaticstressdisorder.Eventhoughnewplasticsur
gerymethodshavebeendescribedasstillexperimental,Iexpecttheywillbeabusedanyminute.Itsunlikelytohitthepress,butIbelievethatanyminutethescionofoneofthemoneyedfamiliescurrentlyrulingthisnationwilllookdownbetweenhislegs,decideheneedsmorethanwhathiscreatorgavehim,andbenefitfromthisextraordinarybitofmedicineforthemostmundaneandegotisticalofreasons.Untilnow,thosewhoconsidertheirmaleendowmenttoosmallhavebeenlimitedtodisplacingsuchurgesbybuyingthemselvesamonstertruckthatcancrushsmallerones,orsimilaractsofsublimation.Sure,wecanadvancescience.Butadvancingethics?Thatmaybemuchharderwork.
