"Genetics After Auschwitz" by David Suzuki
"The past must be recollected and remembered before it can be evaluated."
The point of David Suzuki's lecture is not to accuse scientists of unethical studies, or indict our current scientists if doing the same thing. He is simply trying to improve the relationship between "science and society." He thinks the best guide to that "is history."
Scientists and Geneticists alike, "are reluctant to face up to the past." One of the main examples Suzuki goes into depth about is the "Nazi race Purification" camps. The camps where scientists like Josef Mengele preformed their 'so called research in [these] death camps." Although Suzuki was trained as a Geneticist, he never learned of Mengele. Mengeles scientific discoveries led to some of the greater developments being made today, but because of the way he preformed this science, he is unknown to current sceintists. This was because most scientists turn a blind eye to the accusations of being partly responsible for the "laws regulating immigration from certain countries" and "prohibiting interracial marriage." Suzuki looks at the honest truth about scientists. That sometimes they do get caught up in "power,nationalism and patriotism" involved is science and forget the "social responsibilites" that come with being a scientist.
The author writes this lecture to scientists, particularly those who study genetics, who have left out past discoveries to focus only on "the latest work." He uses his educational back ground to back up his opinions and a calm but informative tone. Near the end he uses a defensive tone when responding to R. Golds letter to the Globe and Mail. Although I think his main audience is people in the scientific community, I think most of us could learn a lesson from looking at our personal downfalls and ensuring we don't rewrite our own history.
David Suzuki doesnt imply that scientists have an "evil inherent." He is emphasizing the notation that scientists are " no better or worse than any other group of people" and that sometimes their ideas get warped into things such as the Purification Camps. Even today scientists are crossing lines and "[violating] federal grant restrictions." He explains that they aren't "evil or fanatics" but are just simply caught up in personal "ambitions and beliefs." That is the reason Suzuki thinks we need to "remember the pitfalls the past reveals." He only wants scientists to be aware of the "negative consequences of the applications of science." Scientists need to carefully think before they "apply [science] in society." He expresses the need to stop "papering over the past" and look into the history that brought them to where they are today, to stop this embarrassing scientific developments from happening again.
I would like to know the views of more scientists. Do they really want to ignore the past? Or have they just simply never been taught?