Weekly Responses for the people and other animals section. 

Each student will write brief weekly response papers of not more than 500 words each (35%). These should present a critical assessment of the assigned material and not a mere restatement of content (link to class readings). The responses give you an opportunity to analyze key ideas that cut across readings, identify questions the readings prompt you to ask, suggest critiques of the data, methodology, or conclusions, or raise concepts you want to clarify.

This week, three students will present 15-minute summaries of their final paper concepts. We will also have Jonathan Beckwith as a guest speaker. Readings for the first class are from Beckwith’s book, where he shares several examples of social and ethical implications of research in the life sciences, including the misuse of science to subjugate different groups of people. The last chapter we read this week describes Beckwith’s efforts to work within the existing power structure of biology research to shift it to greater social responsibility. Such change often occurs so slowly that it only becomes apparent after several decades. We will compare the original report of the ELSI Working Group’s plans with a later article seeking to apply the lessons learned to nanotechnology research. The implications for present-day MIT should be apparent.

Each week’s readings will be accompanied by a set of guiding questions. As you read the materials, take notes about key messages as well as questions you have. Class discussions will center around these.