Letter: Moral choice

I have not looked long or hard. But did a quick google search on ethics of bombing Japan - right there was the UC Davis professor Dr. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa's work - oh, and on the same issue (and perspective) is an article in todays NY Times - see the science section.
Mr. Kelly might take a look too:

For Witness to Nagasaki, a Life Focused on Science
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/...

May 13, 2013 at 11:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Moral choice

Apparently some (at least one) of the student's theories are shared by a very credible scholar.

A Conversation with Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTwbEy...

May 13, 2013 at 10:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Moral choice

Dear Sych: you can disagree with the paper - but it might be a stretch to say on the info you presented that a University of Michigan journal, even a student run one, is not credible. Feel free , if it is worth it to you, to address what you find problematic with it. It might not be the entirety of truth - nothing is (even many articles in eminent peer reviewed journals).
And I did not say *you* were shocking, just the statement you made, and you addressed that. All the best to you.

May 13, 2013 at 5:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Moral choice

Sych: thanks for explaining. No need for insults though.
This paper gives interesting background on what went in to the decision to nuke 2 cities:

Hiroshima and Nagasaki: The Decision to Drop the Bomb By Jung Oh
http://www.umich.edu/~historyj/pages_...

Excerpt from conclusion copied below:
"Given the complexity of the decision, it is no wonder that perhaps no other events
during World War II have generated as much scholarly controversy in recent memory than
the atomic bombing of Japan. In analyzing the various motivations contributing to
Truman’s decision, many factors merit consideration. They are, but not limited to, military
reasons, desire for atomic diplomacy ( “impressing” the Soviets), racism, the need for a
number of scientists to validate their work, fear of Congressional investigation for a two
billion dollar expenditure, and the immeasurable momentum of the Manhattan Project itself
in propelling the administration to use the bomb.
No serious historian today fully believes that the bomb was used primarily as a
means of saving American lives. In considering the counterfactual in which the bomb would
not have been used, historians conclude that the bomb’s impact in achieving military
objectives was quite nebulous. If the bomb was used with the intent of gaining leverage in..."

May 13, 2013 at 11:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Moral choice

It is simplistic to say "there is absolutely nothing at all humanly ethical about warfare" - (self defense?) the Geneva Convention among others outline ethical conduct for ex: prohibit unethical treatment of prisoners including torture. I realize the discussion is about dropping nuclear bombs on heavily populated cities - and the 'ethics' of that which even if you think it was okay- saying you have no problem with that is a little shocking.
And then more problematic ethical issues came out of the atomic bomb including secret human experiments - many of which have not been accounted for as the recent report shows (above). And these were done in the name of the war that followed. What will be uncovered in 60 years that is classified today and found out by accident as is what happened with the recent exposure of horrific human experiments the US gov conducted on the most vulnerable Guatemalans in 46-48?

"CDC Report on Findings from the U.S. Public Health Service Sexually Transmitted
Disease Inoculation Study of 1946–1948, Based on Review of Archived Papers of
John Cutler, MD, at the University of Pittsburgh"
http://www.hhs.gov/1946inoculationstu...

May 12, 2013 at 4:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Letter: Moral choice

A related issue: secret nonconsensual radiation experiments reported in Missouri:

"Secret human testing: Victims in St. Louis speak, demand answers"
http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/3444...
Copied from site;
"...the Army selected the poor and powerless, and exposed them to potentially harmful chemicals without their knowledge or consent."

"Missouri's two U.S. Senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill, and Republican Roy Blunt, are demanding more information about the secret human testing. But so far, the Army remains silent.
The problem for the government is that survivors remember and for the first time are sharing their stories in hopes someone will listen and perhaps be held accountable."

See also the author's published research:
The Manhattan-Rochester Coalition, research on the health effects of radioactive materials, and tests on vulnerable populations without consent in St. Louis, 1945--1970
by Martino-Taylor, Lisa, Ph.D.
http://gradworks.umi.com/35/15/351588...

May 12, 2013 at 1:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

The making of 'K2': Court records detail origin and boom of synthetic marijuana

I didn"t intend to defend them, just commented on the similarities with unethical research practices of a surprising number of prestigious doctors in the news lately especially since claims that there was no risk and the drugs were good for something is often the same sort of misleading statements researchers have gotten into trouble for. I would hope the doctors also would be held accountable especially since their endorsements for dangerous drugs are what set standards and can result in harm to many, not to mention the trust placed in them and their oath to do no harm. That it is rare when unethical doctors get indicted when these guys get life for similar behavior is wrong, not that what these guys did is defendable. It isn't. And so is selective enforcement. There needs to be a better system of oversight that includes accountability.
The Alliance for Human Research Protection has a good sight news regarding ethical issues in research.

www.ahrp.org

April 15, 2013 at 2:02 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

The making of 'K2': Court records detail origin and boom of synthetic marijuana

Correction to my last post:
Nemeroff was fired from Emory for a different scandal because of unethical behavior (for non disclosure, conflict of interest), not for the scandal at U Penn (fraud, ghostwriting), which apparently he was involved in also. The quote I posted in the beginning of my last post was not related to the scandal that resulted in his termination at Emory.

"How An Ethically Challenged Researcher Found A Home at the University of Miami"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulthack...

April 14, 2013 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

The making of 'K2': Court records detail origin and boom of synthetic marijuana

Not to excuse their actions or let them off the hook, but just for comparison:

"Marketing of K2 also included claims that the product was safe and posed no risks, and could help cure a variety of ailments"
compare to:
"The published manuscript was biased in its conclusions, made unsubstantiated efficacy claims and downplayed the adverse-event profile.."
The second quote is from:

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/12071...
Called "Paxil study under fire", on scandal of corruption involving the chairman of psychiatry at Emory who as punishment was fired from chair of psychiatry and not permitted to apply for NIH funding for human research for 2 years.
http://www.emory.edu/ACAD_EXCHANGE/20...
(Now he is "Leonard M. Miller Professor & Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director, Center on Aging" at U Miami.)
http://uhealthsystem.com/doctors/prof...
see also:

Bitter Pill by Sarah Boseley
http://m.guardiannews.com/education/2...
"Speaking out about prozac"

U. of Pennsylvania Professor Accuses Colleagues of Slanted Research
By Paul Basken
http://chronicle.com/article/U-of-Pen...

Dr. Nancy Olivieri
http://wikileaks.org/wiki/Dr._Nancy_O...

Grassley Probe: Pharma Provides 81% of NAMI Income

http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/...

"Chair of Obama's Bioethics Commission Ignores Ghostwriting on Her Own Campus"
http://pogoblog.typepad.com/pogo/2011...

April 14, 2013 at 3:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

KU professor hopes to 'shake some people up' with novel that tells ancient story

Professor Dobson has written an interesting article called :
Called: Geoslavery
http://gis.lanecc.edu/gtft/gtft_readi...
And his involvement in the Bowman Expedition is also interesting:
Geographic Controversy over the Bowman Expeditions / México Indígena
http://academic.evergreen.edu/g/gross...

April 13, 2013 at 12:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )