who are the controversy’s main characters? The three individuals who have played the most important roles in the controversy and whose names are repeatedly referred to in discussions of it are James Neel, Napoleon Chagnon, and Patrick Tierney. The late James Neel has been called by many the father of modern human genetics. He served on the University of Michigan’s faculty for more than forty years, becoming one of its most distinguished members. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences as well as to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded the National Medal of Science and the Smithsonian Institution Medal. Neel is perceived as the first scientist to recognize the genetic basis for sickle cell anemia. He conducted research on the aftereffects of atomic radiation with survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings of World War II in Japan. He also suggested not only …show more content…
Neel became interested in Amazonian Indians because of his research relating population genetics to principles of natural selection—whether certain genetic structures contained particular evolutionary adaptive advantages. Realizing that detailed studies of “civilized populations” would prove less instructive for examining early human genetic adaptations than “tribal populations,” having the Amazon region fairly accessible, and knowing that Amerindians had entered the Americas fairly recently (he believed between fifteen and forty thousand years ago), Neel sought out relatively undisrupted groups in the Amazon for study. He wrote in his autobiography: “I realized we would probably never assemble from studies of existing tribal populations the numbers of observations necessary to relate specific genes to specific selective advantages, but at least we could take steps to define the range of population structures within which the evolutionary forces shaping humans had to operate”
It is hard to piece together the beliefs that a Realist person has versus the beliefs of a Transcendentalist has. The book contains both philosophies about them but the book itself portrays more of a Transcendentalist feel to it. The author portrays himself as a Realist, he may be known to write about nature, outdoors, but he has a different outlook. In the book, Into the Wild written by Jon Krakauer talks about a young man named Chris McCandless who decides to walk alone into the wilderness in Alaska to invent a new life for himself. He then struggles to make it out on his own and his body is found inside a bus. While both philosophies of Realism and Transcendental exist in Into the Wild, Realism is the real focus for Jon Krakauer.
Indian Givers How the Indians of the Americas transformed the world. This paper tries to explain Jack Weatherford's Indian Givers by examining the history of the Native American connection to many agricultural products that would not have been produced without the knowledge that Indians gave. Weatherford further stipulates that it is through these advances in agriculture that the United States has remained a strong contender in the global market, that without the influences of the Native Americans on the early settlers those early immigrants to America would not have survived. Through his work, "Indian Givers: How Indians of the Americas Transformed the World", Weatherford brings an insight to a people that most individuals have neglected to consider. The paper concludes that it is Weatherford's purpose to demonstrate that Native Americans have been a misrepresented and forgotten people when the history of North America is discussed.
In today’s modern age science is moving at a rapid pace; one of those scientific fields that has taken the largest leaps is that of genetics. When genetics first comes to mind, many of us think of it as a type of science fiction, or a mystical dream. Yet genetics is here, it is real, and has numerous ethical implications.
...lgram, Jeff. "In Jefferson-Hemings DNA test, media found failing: Research director sees 'biggest science story' as widely misinterpreted." Packet Online. 29 Apr. 2000
The implementation of the NAGPRA has provoked a ranging conflict in interest between two groups, the scientists on one hand and the Native American tribes on the other. As expressed by Burt, scientists have held that the skeletal remains are a source of information that helps in relating the early and the new world (304). They argue that understanding the human evolution is beneficial to the modern communities as they are able to appreciate their history and origin. Conversely, the Native American tribes are of the views that preserving human remains prevents their spirits from resting. Unrest of the spirits may bring misfortune on the current and future generations. In terms of learning their history, the Native Americans bel...
Francis S. Collins is a renowned geneticist who originally became Ph.D in Physical Chemistry at Yale University and later on, a Medical Doctor at University of North Carolina. As soon as he graduated he was offered a fellowship in Human Genetics at Yale University under the guidance of Sherman Weissman, currently Sterling Professor of Genetics. In the late 1980’s Collins became known in the field of Medical Genetics for his development of positional cloning, a technique that allows to locate a hereditary disease-causing gene by studying the inheritance pattern within a family. Working with his method researchers found the genes responsible for diseases like Cystic fibrosis, Huntington’s disease, Neurofibromatosis, Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type one, and Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. In 1993 Dr. Collins succeeded Dr. James D. Watson as the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), overseeing the role of the United States in the mapping of the human genome. In 2009 President Obama personally recommended Collins to lead the National Institute of Health (NIH) where he works until present day. Francis S. Collins is by no means a bragging individual, bits and pieces of his accomplishments are scattered throughout the book and he makes no big deal about it; instead he j...
In The Case Against Perfection, Sandel warns us of the dangers that genetic engineering, steroids, and hormones poses to society and the natural order. According to Sandel, this type of control, especially in non-medical settings, violates a respect for life that should be ingrained in all of us. Life is something difficult to predict, something that shouldn’t bend to our every single will and desire. Genetic engineering, and the like, presents an egregious violation of this respect. According to Sandel, this violation serves only to reverse the human march of progress. Sandel weaves a well-balanced argument in his book. The issue of eugenic technology is most definitely not black or white. According to him, the aspects of modification can be applied selectively, so long as it doesn’t violate the respect for life society should hold closely.
Dunnell believed that evolutionary biology is a better method to explain evolution in cultural anthropology and archaeology rather than cultural evolution. The main problem with biological evolution is the dilemma of altruistic behavior in humans, which is the exact opposite of natural selection. Dunnell states that altruistic behavior is “the ultimate of the selfish principles” (Dunnell 1996: 26). The original solution to the issue of altruistic behavior was thought to be to change the scale of which natural selection works from that of the individual to the group. However, Dunnell gives three reasons why this change usually would not work. First, the individual, not the group, is the mean by which the reproductivity occurs. Second, the individual is the mean by which observable characteristics show themselves. Finally, changes in higher levels of ranking in society, such as that of the group, are too slow for ...
The dropping and the atomic bomb and the continued use of human subjects during scientific testing in the 20th century continues to be a controversial subject. It is because the actions carried out saved many lives and that those hurt were informed and volunteered that these methods were moral. It is because of the debate surrounding these actions that science has continued to evolve. From these earlier practices, more rigid experimental methods are enforced. These new regulations protect the patient and continue to ensure that those sacrificing their safety to aid others are not injured without fully understanding the risks involved. The modern world will continue to benefit from the actions taken by the United States during the 20th century.
I have decided to write about four conditions, three of which are detailed in “Survival of the Sickest”, a book written by Dr. Sharon Moalem about how genetic diseases may have evolved to help the human race survive in the past. The diseases which I chose are Hemochromatosis, Diabetes, Transposons, and Sickle cell anemia. I decided to write about hemochromatosis because of how it affects the body by overloading the body with iron, how it evolved in Vikings to minimize iron deficiencies, and how it spread across the population as the Vikings began inbreeding as they colonized Europe. I chose to write about diabetes because of how it may have evolved to prevent blood from freezing during the Last Ice Age, and because of the impact which it has on society. I wrote about transposons, despite the fact that these are not diseases, because of the role they play in the development of cancer, the way they are used in cancer research, and the way they have affected the evolution of life. Lastly, I decided to write about sickle cell anemia because of its interesting relationship with a disease which continues to run rampant in Africa.
Peterson, Dr. Alan. "It's not all In our genes- social and political implications of human genome project." The New Statesman. 3 July 2000. 13.612: 5,1
"Sickle Cell Anemia and Other "Good" Mutations of Evolution" Missouri Association for Creation, 1994. http://jesus-is-lord.com/evolsick.txt
For as long as mankind has walked the Earth, there have always been things standing in its way; things scientists have taken centuries to try and understand. Finding the key to why someone has a pre-disposition to cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart problems, or even skin conditions like psoriasis, lays within their genetic make-up. Many remain reserved on the subject and insist that the risk of genetic testing isn’t worth the reward, though there is much evidence to the contrary. The debate on the benefits of genetic research and what they can do to help mankind has been argued with the help of extensive scientific testing, anonymous surveys, and rulings from our own Federal Government.