Ethics and science - why does it matter?

With anything, people all have different opinions on what is right and wrong and this comes down to our personal morals and ethics. Science is very important in our ever changing world and is constantly making headlines, especially the ethical side of it.

Without ethics, we would allow anything to happen in the way of science and everything would be out of control. Although science is really important to our development as a species and the environment we live in, it also causes a lot of issues. These issues come about even with the use of ethics, making me not wanting to think about what it would be like without any.

 There are a few different aspects to ethics in science.                                                                              The first is ethical integrity, largely in the research and testing side of science. It is important that the truth is always presented when researching and testing, to ensure that correct information is passed on. This means that all research and results must be looked at equally and fairly so that no bias is created.    

Another aspect to the ethics of science is the testing. This is especially important and largely looked at especially if animals are involved. Most people see animals as sentient beings whose deserve respect and to be treated accordingly. If the environment is involved this can also cause controversy, especially if there is potential for damage to it. Everyone has different opinions as to what the limits of testing is and this is a part of the issue. There are some restrictions put in place but some people believe these are not enough like the use of animals for medical testing. 

It is hard to find an intermediate place where everyone is happy with the ethical side of the science, and where science can be practiced and developed, but would be very beneficial if this were to be achieved.

What was interesting about assignment 1?

Possums have always been a topic of discussion growing up and I have always been told they were a threat to New Zealand’s environment. What wasn’t discussed, was the programmes used to control possum populations. I had a brief understanding of the different types of control programmes, however I wasn’t aware of the consequences of them.

I went into assignment 1 with my mind set on possum control being ethically justifiable. However with the more research I did, the more I changed my mind and this is what I found most interesting in assignment 1. I was interested to learn that I had already had a set opinion on a topic that I barely knew anything about. This has taught me to consider and research all sides to a topic before making judgement. I feel that this a very important lesson to learn early on in life and especially if you are going to pursue a career in science.

In New Zealand, I did not understand how many implications there were surrounding 1080 and all of the people that against it being used but now I understand why. The main point, which was of the most interest, was how 1080 kills slowly and painfully, making it unethical. The poison does not make the possums unconscious, so they feel all the pain throughout the slow death. Many tests have been done to prove this and for the majority of time from poisoning to death, they have many painful spasms and tremors. A test conducted at Massey, when possums ingested the lethal dose of 1080, showed:

By 1 hour and 55 minutes: Half of the possums had abnormal appearances and postures.
By 3 hours and 37 minutes: There was a lack of co-ordination.
The rest of the time was spent: Lying down having spasms and tremors
(Littin, Gregory, Airey, Eason, Mellor, 2009)


For a conscious animal to go through this pain is horrendous and a very large concern in animal welfare. Although possums are a pest, no animal should have to suffer, instead another pain-free but effective alternative needs to be found.

Littin,K.E., Gregory,N.G., Airey,A.T., Eason,C.T., & Mellor,D.J. (2009). Behaviour and time to unconsciousness of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) after a lethal or sublethal dose of 1080. Journal of Wildlife Research, 36(8), 709-720