Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of nature How do we strike that balance between biomedical advances and moral/ethical responsibility? Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of nature

Independent Reading No focus questions for Reading Logs this week.

Questions to be answered Is new medical or scientific discovery inherently problematic? Why or why not? How do we determine whether a new discovery/capability is beneficial and acceptable? What is your role and responsibility, as a member of the society, in determining whether a scientific or technological advance is acceptable and beneficial?

The Story of Baby Fae Answer questions on handout as you watch. Click here to watch video

As you navigate through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, use your handout to take notes on the connections to Mary Shelley’s novel. Promise and Peril

What’s There to Worry About? Human nature: The reason this novel still grips us! Victor is a flawed human being and Mary Shelley taps into a fear that scientists, being fallible human beings, will not be wise or responsible enough to control their potentially deadly discoveries.

Answer and Discuss Is new medical or scientific discovery inherently problematic? Why or why not? How do we determine whether a new discovery/capability is beneficial and acceptable? What is your role and responsibility, as a member of the society, in determining whether a scientific or technological advance is acceptable and beneficial?