Ethics in Science and Art

Ethics in Science and Art - A Definition?  Ethics are concerned with things like what is meant by: -Right and wrong -Good and bad -Fair and unfair -Allowed and not allowed  Your own ethics depend on your character. Ethics influence what you do and how you behave to others  Ethics are considered when making laws

Gunther von Hagens - Body Worlds Is this art or science?  Exhibits made from real bodies treated with wax and plastics.  Body Worlds opened in 1995 and has been seen by millions of people all over the world.  Prof von Hagens says that the main goal of the exhibition is health education and to show people how the human body works.

Body Worlds - What’s The Problem? So is this an educational, science exhibition or a publicity-seeking art exhibition? What are the ethical issues surrounding this exhibition?

Body Worlds - Some Facts  All the people whose bodies feature in the exhibition agreed to donate their bodies before they died.  All of the figures in the exhibition are anonymous.  Visitors choose to see the exhibition. They are told that some people may find some of the figures disturbing.  Visitors must pay to enter the exhibition.  Gunther von Hagens is now a celebrity and appears regularly on TV.

Me, Myself and MRI Medical Resonance Imaging

Me, Myself and MRI project  Exhibition to explore what makes each person unique, using ideas from both science and art  Six volunteers  Contained photographs, video, audio and MRI brain scans  Toured different locations around the country Is it art? Is it science? Is it ethical?

What is Magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI)? MRI scanners view sections through the body. Sections made into three-dimensional images. Click on video of scan to play and pause.

Ethics: should MRI images make art? MRI showing nerve connections inside the brain. Should images of people’s brains be used for art? Should medical facilities be used to make art? What should be done if the scan reveals a serious medical problem? What if there is only a minor medical problem?

Me, Myself and MRI – Ethics  Participants needed to understand the project and agree to taking part.  Scanners only used when not being used for medical purposes.  If a scan showed a problem, the person’s doctor was informed so they could take the appropriate action.  Could only go ahead after getting permission from University’s ethical committee who considered all the issues.  Getting approval from the ethics committee was difficult because scan data normally has to remain anonymous if it’s used in public and the exhibition meant that the volunteers and their scan images would all be easily recognised.  The exhibition was free.