The following is the topics schedule for the semester. Details of the reading and assignments will be handed out in class and posted on the web 1-3 weeks prior to the session.

• Overview of course content, expectations and requirements 
• Article by Lewis Thomas: Humanities and Science 
• AAAS Case study: The Whole Truth

 

• Ethical Perspectives from the Western tradition 
• Ethical perspectives from scientists (Feynman, Goodstein) 
• Research Integrity and Scientific Misconduct 
• Ethics and the Scientist 
• Mentoring 
• Scientific Record Keeping

 

• Research Integrity and Scientific Misconduct 
• Authorship and peer review 
• Managing conflicting interests 
• Disciplinary codes of ethics 
• Ethics philosophies 
• Guest lecturer: Dr. Tim Cleveland, Philosophy Department, NMSU

 

• Research Integrity and Scientific Misconduct 
• Collaborative research 
• Conflicts of interest 
• Ownership of data and intellectual property 
• Codes of Ethics: Comparisons of student disciplines 
• Science and Ethics on the Internet: 
• Ownership, publishing, veracity of information on the net 
• Computers and science: privacy 
• ELSI and AAAS Ethics Web sites

 

• Scientific direction: What kind of science gets done and who decides? 
• Economics: Federal and private funding of research 
• Government agencies: NSF, NIH, ARO, DOE ( genome project), CDC, USDA 
• Industry 
• Foundations 
• Law and Science

 

• Introduction to Genetics 
• Human Genome Project 
• Genetic testing

 

• Behavior, environment, and genes 
• Eugenics: historical perspectives 
• Race and IQ 
• Guest lecturer: Dr. Dan Howard, NMSU, Biology

 

• General concerns
• Genetic Engineering
• Humans and animals in experimentation 
• Guest lecturer: Dr. Marvin Bernstein, NMSU, Biology

 

• Natural Resource management
• Genetic Engineering
• Guest lecturer: Dr. Laura Huenneke, NMSU, Biology

 

• Economic base
• Best seller" pharmaceutical products 
• Prozac, Ritalin, 
• Contraceptives, Steroids, Viagra

 

• First World/Third World priorities and conflicts 
• Genetic Engineering 
• Pharmaceutical Industry: 
• Impact on developing nations 
• Medicinal Plants 
• Access to scientific knowledge: Who gets to do science? who benefits?

 

• Manhattan Project 
• Guest lecturer: Mr. Jon Haas, NASA

 

• viruses, chemicals and bacteria
• storage and monitoring issues
• decontamination issues

• Fertility Research 
• Euthanasia

 

• presentations of term papers