Neuroscience is UN/ETHICAL: Full Contemporary Debate

Statement 1:

Neuroscience is ethical because it helps us understand consciousness

Explain 1:

Crick and Koch (1998) discovered that consciousness was located in the claustrum (which is a thin sheet of neurons located in the centre of the brain)

Evidence 1:

Case study:

• A 54-year-old woman with severe epilepsy

• She previously had tests done on her brain and had an electrode placed near her claustrum

• When the electrode was electrically stimulated, the woman would stop reading, stare blankly, and not follow commands

• When the electrode was no longer stimulated, she regained consciousness and couldn’t recall anything from the event

Why 1:

Statement 2:

Explain 2:

Evidence 2:

Why 2:

Statement 3:

Explain 3:

Evidence 3:

Why 3:

Statement 4:

Explain 4:

Evidence 4:

Why 4:

What does Tiktok’s powerful algorithm do?

Make you stay on te app for as long as possible

What does ‘personalised pleasure’ log?

1. Likes

2. Comments

3. Swipes

4. Time

How does the algorithm claim to know users better than they know themselves?

By analysing their interactions and behaviours

What makes the algorithm addictive?

It uses neuroscience and spaced learning techniques

How does spaced learning contribute to memory retention in the algorithm?

By repeating similar videos over a few weeks

How is tiktok unethical?

I believe that tiktok is unethical as there is evidence to support that it is listening to you without valid consent

What type of research does brain research primarily rely on?

Animal research

Which animals are primarily used in brain research?

Mice and rats

Why are mice and rats considered useful for brain research?

They have complex brains like humans

What percentage of the annual health budget is spent on brain research?

45%

How do mice help in understanding dementia?

They provide insights into brain function and disease

What do animals help researchers understand in neuroscience?

They help understand authenticity

How is the use of animals in neuroscience unethical?

I believe that animal research is unethical because there have been cases where drug testing on animals has been moved to humans, resulting in these subjects passing away; modelling should take place instead.