Brains and Boundaries
This part of the brain is primarily responsible for memory formation.
What is the hippocampus?
This thought experiment explores the moral dilemma of “killing” versus “letting people die”. This experiment was also featured in the popular T.V. show “The Good Place”.
What is the trolley problem?
A testable statement predicting the relationship between two or more variables within a research project.
What is a hypothesis?
This principle describe the inner sense of right and wrong.
What is conscience?
Before performing surgery, doctors must obtain this from the patient, ensuring they understand the risks and benefits.
What is informed consent?
The neurotransmitter involved in reward, motivation, and addictions.
What is dopamine?
This psychological phenomenon states that individuals are less likely to help someone in need if there are other people around.
What is the bystander effect?
In animal research, the “3 Rs” (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) are guidelines meant to promote this.
What is ethical treatment of animals?
This field of science that studies how the human brain enables consciousness, decision-making, and moral reasoning.
What is cognitive neuroscience?
The case of Henrietta Lacks raised ethical concerns about the use of this type of biological material without consent.
What are HeLa cells (human tissues/cells)?
This neurodegenerative protein, when misfolded, is strongly associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
What is tau (or beta-amyloid)?
This psychological phenomenon involves the tendency to seek evidence that already confirms one’s personal beliefs.
What is confirmation bias?
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield published a fraudulent paper falsely linking vaccines to this condition, fueling mistrust in science.
What is autism?
This practice of canceling or boycotting someone for offensive behavior raises questions about accountability versus free expression.
What is cancel culture?
When doctors must choose which patient gets the last ICU bed, they are engaging in this kind of ethical decision-making.
What is triage?
The part of the brain region associated with moral judgement and emotional regulation.
What is the prefrontal cortex?
This document outlines three important principles (respect for persons, beneficence, and justice) when it comes to the ethical conduct of research involving human subjects.
What is the Belmont report?
This 40-year U.S. study withheld treatment from Black men with syphilis, becoming one of the most infamous examples of unethical research.
What is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study?
This 1947 set of ethical principles guides researchers in protecting human subjects and came in response to atrocities in WWII.
What is the Nuremberg Code?
A doctor prescribes antibiotics for a patient who insists they’re needed, even though the illness is viral. Giving in to pressure violates this principle of “do no harm.”
What is nonmaleficence?
This technique records electrical activity from the scalp to study brain function, often in research on sleep, seizures, or cognition.
What is EEG (electroencephalography)?
A social media influencer discovers that one of their posts inadvertently spreads misinformation about a public health issue. Deleting it may prevent harm but could also be seen as admitting fault and hurting their career. Leaving it up risks public harm. This dilemma primarily pits professional reputation against this ethical principle.
What is beneficence / duty to prevent harm?
When a scientist has financial ties to a company that could benefit from their study’s results, this ethical issue arises.
What is a conflict of interest?
Journalists face ethical tension when deciding whether to show graphic war images, balancing public awareness with this ethical principle.
What is minimizing harm?
The CRISPR baby controversy in China (2018) sparked global debate over altering this part of human biology.
What is the human genome (germline editing)?