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Many companies now offer direct-to-consumer (DTC) gene testing to determine predisposition, or an increased likelihood, to develop certain diseases. Usually, genetic testing is done through a health care provider. However, DTC gene testing is now readily available, and consumers can buy gene testing kits online or in stores.
After purchasing a kit, the consumer collects their cheek cells (from a saliva sample or cheek swab) and sends them to the company. From these cells, DNA is extracted and sequenced, and the results are made available to the consumer online. The results can provide information about a person’s predisposition for certain health conditions. DTC gene testing has pros and cons, and as a consumer, it is important to do your homework and understand the limitations of such tests. For example, often the same test from different companies will produce different results, even for identical twins!
Would you want to have your DNA sequenced and find out about your genetic health? What if the test only told you whether or not you might be likely to develop certain medical conditions? Explain the pros and cons of knowing this information.
In the winter of 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic caused a shortage of medical supplies. To solve this problem, hospitals worked with engineers to innovate life-saving solutions.
COVID-19 can lead to pneumonia, which makes it hard for infected individuals to breathe. Under normal circumstances, doctors use a ventilator machine to help pneumonia patients breathe. During the pandemic, the number of cases grew so quickly that hospitals in Italy were running out of one small but significant part of the ventilator: a venturi valve. This valve connects the respirator and the oxygen mask and must be replaced for each patient.
Cristian Fracassi, a materials scientist and founder of the Italian 3D-printing startup, Isinnova, learned of the problem and jumped at the opportunity to use his technology to solve the life-threatening problem facing a nearby hospital. His team of engineers reverse engineered the valve and 3D printed a prototype that they hoped would function properly. The hospital tested the prototype, and it worked! Isinnova printed and delivered 100 valves to the hospital.
Isinnova has received many requests to share the solid model digital files of the valves that they developed. But sharing the files poses legal and ethical issues.
What concerns might impact whether Isinnova shares their digital files? How would you proceed if you were the founder of the company?
In recent years, a lot of attention has been focused on smartphone data that may have been used by terrorists. Phone manufacturers have prohibited access to this data, citing the breach of private citizens’ personal information. These companies are concerned about the breach of privacy serving as a gateway to other privacy breaches becoming acceptable or lawful. Should law enforcement be able to access someone’s smartphone during an investigation? Where do you draw the line?
The construction of efficient wind turbines can generate affordable, inexpensive electricity—a critical need. Environmental groups and homeowners commonly oppose wind farms out of concern about threats to wildlife, devaluation of property, and an eyesore on the landscape.
What benefits might result from a solution? What harm could result from a solution for wind farms? Which results will create the greatest good?
According to the Boston Consulting Group, nearly one-fourth of all miles driven in the U.S. could be in shared, self-driving electric cars by the year 2030. Autonomous, or self-driving, vehicles combine sensors, cameras, and sophisticated software to control, navigate, and actually drive the vehicle! Supporters of this technology claim that it will significantly reduce the number of traffic-related deaths worldwide.
Computer scientists and engineers must program autonomous vehicle systems to analyze and respond to many different inputs. Because these systems operate without human control and are designed to function and make decisions on their own, the ethical, legal, social, and policy implications have escalated. While these cars will ultimately be safer and cleaner than their manual counterparts, they cannot avoid accidents altogether. What should the car be programmed to do if it encounters an unavoidable accident? Who is responsible for the actions of autonomous systems? If robotic technology can potentially reduce the number of human fatalities, is it the responsibility of scientists to design these systems?
Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is a greenhouse gas that rapidly accumulates as the world burns fossil fuels to run vehicles, factories, and power plants. CO2 enters our atmosphere from sources like breathing humans and animals, decaying plants, volcanoes, and the surface of the ocean. Carbon leaves the atmosphere when it is used by trees and plants during photosynthesis, absorbed back into the sea, or stored in soil. Before the CO2 gas is reabsorbed to the Earth, it hangs in the atmosphere and traps some of the heat from the sun, which keeps the planet from freezing. But the more CO2 that stays in the atmosphere at a time, the warmer Earth becomes.
By extracting and burning carbon that has been absorbed by the Earth’s soil, carbon is being released into the atmosphere at a greater pace. Combined with the removal of forests and green spaces, referred to as deforestation, the planet’s ability to reabsorb the carbon is reduced and effectively increases the temperature of Earth. This results in more drastic weather for the planet, which is the basis of climate change.
Climate change is a complicated problem that involves serious ethical issues—globally, ecologically, and between generations. It is easy to ignore or pass on the issue and consider this a distant problem. What would make you change your behavior and save more energy? Do we have an obligation to protect humans, animals, unique places, or nature as a whole? If so, what are they?
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