Can science balance discovery and morality in the use of animals in the lab?
For centuries, scientists have conducted lab research on animals. This work has resulted in countless medical advances — from the creation of antibiotics for bacterial infections to the development of chemotherapy for cancer patients. Opposition to animal testing has been around almost as long as the practice itself, and over the past few decades, there’s been an increase in the number of scientists joining the animal protection movement. At a speech today at the University of Minnesota, Carleton College Professor Dale Jamieson discussed changes in the way the scientific community views animal rights. He says it’s possible for people to approach animal research from a perspective that’s both scientifically informed and morally sensitive.
