Why must we fiddle with everything?
As the semester comes to a close I have noticed a trend in the subject matters that we have discussed. This trend is not a secret and more of you may have noticed it but throughout the different types of technologies we have explored I think that the trend is that we as humans have this nature inclination to fiddle with things. And we fiddle with them because we think that one day our fiddling will lead to improvements. I think this plays into one major issues with stem cell research. What will come of it and how will we get there?
In doing research on the pros and cons of stem cell research I have found that the public’s general concern is with the method to which the cells are acquired and how they might be potentially be manipulated and the potential outcome. While these are very important things to think about and be concerned with I honestly cannot give the majority of the human population credit for being as educated as they should be about stem cell research.
So my questions to our class is this, why do you think we as the human race have the natural inclination to fiddle with things and more specifically fiddle with stem cells? What do you think the biggest issue with stem cells is? What will come of our research or how we will get there?
In the case of stem cell research, we fiddle in order to find life-changing cures. To answer one of your questions and reiterate one of your points: the issue is certainly the idea of when a new life starts. I think the individualized method in the U.S. in the film, asking each person what they would like done with the embryos, is a good short-term solution. Perhaps stem cell research should not be the default use of unused embryos, but an option for those who wish.
ReplyDeleteI think the human race is a race of "fiddlers" because we're naturally very curious creatures. Like Gabrielle said previously, we think that our tinkering could lead to curing many intense diseases. We're always looking for new ways to improve our lives. People don't know how to feel about stem cells because the embryo they're pulled from could technically become a human life at some point. Thats another subject that many people don't know how to deal with. I definitely think that the ultimate decision with what to do with the embryo should rest with the owner.
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