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Brain, Behavior, and Human Well-Being
Senior Seminar in Neural and Behavioral Sciences
Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges
Spring 2008
In this course, we will explore some of the opportunities and risks being opened up by past, ongoing, and anticipated research in the neural and behavioral sciences, in ways that make such explorations accessible to broader and continuing engagement by the public at large. Web materials providing access to relevant observations and perspectives will be prepared and posted on selected topics, and a public on-line forum will be used for continuing discussions of these topics.
Likely take off points for these discussions include
- Autism gene findings raise questions, hype (Wired Science, 10 Jan 2008)
- A conversation with Scott E. Page: In professor's model, diversity = productivity (NYTimes, 8 Jan 2008)
- What makes us want to be good? (NYTimes Magazine, 13 Jan 08)
- Advances in Neuroscience: Decision Making (Science, 26 October 2007)
- Social Cognition (Science, 7 September 2007)
- Culture as disability (Serendip)
- Brain and education (Serendip)
- Brain and mental health (Serendip)
Some additions during the semester
- My Cortex Made Me Buy It (NYTimes, 9 Feb 2008)
- The First Ache (NYTimes Magazine, 10 Feb 2008)
- From Mirror Neurons to Moral Neuropolitics (Gary Olson, PoliSci, Moravian)
- Pain as an Art Form (NYTimes, 22 April 2008)
In addition to active participation in class and on-line forum discussions, students will be expected to prepare web materials for and lead one of the class discussions. Web materials should provide appropriate background on a relevant topic, clearly develop a novel and useful synthesis in this area, and provide directions and resources for further exploration. These materials should reflect the perspectives, skills, and critical abilities acquired during one's studies but be presented in a way that is accessible to and engaging for a general audience.
For further information, contact Paul Grobstein and/or Andrea Morris.
- Course home page: /exchange/courses/NBSseminar/s08
- Course on-line forum area
SCHEDULE
Comments
The one thing that
The one thing that surprised me the most during class was the lack of regulation and knowledge about animal testing. I think it is problematic that society in general seems to have ethical issues with animal testing, but nobody actually cares enough to attempt regulating it. I think part of the scientific communities’ code of conduct should include something about treating lab animals with respect. I believe that animal testing is important to research and that there is currently not a good substitute for it. However, I think it is upsetting that not all labs (and probably not most labs) provide good living conditions for their animals. Also, since there is a moral issue with sacrificing an animal for the greater good I think researchers should make more of an effort to make sure their research is not repetitive so we could limit the amount of animal lives lost.
Another interesting issue which was brought up was the difference between research, testing, and educational animals. Although there are some arguments that could be made for the importance of using animals for education, such as dissection, etc, I think that not enough is gained to warrant the large amount of animals used. Dissecting a frog in middle school is not benefiting society or providing important treatments for humans or animals. Therefore I think it is much more feasible and probably moral to replace educational animals with computer models. However, I think that for testing and research animal models are still important because we need to see how the whole system reacts and that can’t be replicated on a computer model.
Thank you for your input
Thank you for your input Jenna or, rather, Peter Singer.
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