Why is it Important to be Ethically Correct when you are a Scientist?

- Is it important to be ethically correct? As a scientist you work with descriptive ethics to some extent. You don’t concern yourself with what is right and what is wrong.

You work with challenges in the world. You research and develop products for todays and products that are on the market. It is typically based on the perceptions and patterns of a certain group, without considering if it is wright or wrong. When developing a drug, you do not take into consideration whether the people affected could be at risk. In our research project, we have not studied people’s attitude towards the use of medicine targeted lifestyle diseases. However, we can observe that being obese is not perceived as a positive thing by a large group of people. When we develop the bacteria, we do not take into account whether the population believes in getting skinny the “easy way”. Many of the research projects in iGEM, are projects that expresses the saying ”just because you can”. There are many people in the world, and therefore there will always be a clientele for the use of your research. Everyone has their own opinions about what you should and should not do. People have the right to form and choose their own opinion of what they believe is right for themselves and their bodies.

It is difficult to be ethically correct when a researcher invents something. It is very easy to encounter people who cannot accept your research. You can soon get to discuss whether it is natural to use our scientific knowledge. You can also discuss whether or not it is human nature to use the tools given to man. Some would say that man's greatest tool is the intellect and the ability to adapt as Darwin says. Humans will always fight for their own survival, just like all other living creatures. Humans will always fight for the best mate, and you do that nowadays by being good looking. Why should you not use all the tools available, and tools not yet found in the world, to create a better and more reproductive life?

However, it does have a downside to be make things "just because you can." It is important to think about the consequences. Do the consequences exceed the benefits? Does the hedonic calculus sum up to be positive? Let us briefly look at our iGEM product.

Intensity: The intensity is very high as the effect occurs soon after the bacteria are consumed.

Duration: Happiness lasts about as long as the product. You feel better mentally because you know that you do not have to deal with the guilt of eating sugar. Additionally, you will also be able to see it on the weight in the long run, because the calories that you would otherwise have consumed will not be converted into fat.

Certainty/uncertainty: How certain is it that happiness will occur? The effect will differ from person to person, just as it will with any other drug.

Purity: How pure is the feeling of happiness? Happiness could possibly be mixed because, in theory, you can eat all the sugar you want to, without gaining weight. At the same time some might have a guilty conscience, bacuse you know that you should eat less and maybe even work out instead of consuming yoghurt to fight obesity.

Fruitfulness: How many other great things come with the action? There are many good side effects from ingesting inulin. It reduces your hunger, reduces the risk of diabetes, prevents colon cancer and increases your satisfaction.

Propinquity/remoteness: Do the effects occur soon or sometime in the future? In our case, the effects happens rapidly. It is a preventive drug, but when you consume the bacteria close to a sugary meal, and the bacteria converts the intake of sugar, it must be said to have a rapid effect.

Prevalence: Assessment of all the points above on all persons affected by the action. The conclusion must be assessed that the affects are beneficial for all involved, of the action from the six other sections. Therefore, it must be said from this happiness calculation that our bacteria is consequently, ethically correct, as they provide more happiness than pain.