The good, the bad and more crazy questions - stretch it (Jan/29/2007 )
I think it’s time to try a spin-off of the answer/question chain- this would require a little more thinking and may be even a stretch of the imagination… (and it’s also designed for some posters who don’t want to share anything private or personal)?
Once again, it’s very simple. We just ask ‘What’s good or what’s bad about certain ‘stuff’ (things, persons, places, events etc). This is usually easy to answer but the fun begins when we ask about ‘stuff’ which give off either predominantly positive or negative vibes.
For these we have to explore more than the surface and try hard enough so we can come up with something redeeming (for the bad stuff) or condemning (for the good stuff). Shall we give it a go? Same rules apply but there’s one important addition: we can’t answer “NOTHING”. Let the fun begin……
Q: What’s good about cancer?
My answer: It has kept a lot of us scientists and researchers fed, clothed and housed all these years? 
Next Q: What’s good about George W Bush? 
The Answer: George W Bush is doing doing his part for the movie industry. He is providing Hollywood material for War movies that will be produced 20yrs from now. He has also introduced a whole new cast of super evil villians to step into the void left by the collapse of the old USSR. (As it is now politically incorrect to cast the Russian Bear as the evil villant) Which in turns introduces a new generation to the action movie hero, who must arise to defeat said super villain.
And finally, though not acting alone (he can't take all the credit), George W Bush is helping to keep my winter heating bill down (near eliminated so far), the streets ice free and the winter air temperate, so my hands are nice and warm when I cycle to work.
Question: What good can come from divorcing ethics and ethical oversight from science? (And since we are mainly biologist, biology/genetics in particular ) 
OK, let see!!! 
A: Hi is going to be president just for a couple more years! 
(sorry I don't like hime very much)
Q: What are the disadvantage of being in a very good institute as an Student or Professor?
A: Hi is going to be president just for a couple more years!
(sorry I don't like hime very much)Q: What are the disadvantage of being in a very good institute as an Student or Professor?
A: Extreme and uneasy competition among your peers. And even jelousy, first professional but in bad situation can spill into personal life. The competition is intense, often brings out the worse in people. This manifest in poor personal/afterwork relationship, undue stress, unwillingness to help others, and a certain guardedness when discussing work related matters. For the worse individuals this can lead to plain sabotage.
And finally be wary of the morning coffee. You never know when some radioisotop might just find its way into the can.
My orginal question stands.
divorcing ethical oversight from science would cause the number of trees needed to produce paper to fall dramatically. all the paperwork that needs to be copied thrice, stamped, signed, viewed, reviewed, presented, returned, submitted, returned, resubmitted, etc... the world would have a huge number of trees, with the soul purpose of making air. apart from the significant decrease in paper production, which would result in a cleaner environment, there would be huge *HUGE* leaps made in the sciencetific world.
imagine, without going through the ethical hurdles, we could have a cure for cancer in weeks... sure it would have nasty side effects, and could kill people, but it's a cure. ok, that's not quite right. but say, there is a cure out there, and it's being held up because the people sitting around the ethics board don't feel right about using it, because the cure comes from a dodgy source? it's a cure. get over it.
without ethics sticking their noses into science, there would be room to manouver. if there is a trend that a researcher wanted to look into, they could do it, without the sitting and the typing, and the explaining. just go out there and do it (funds would then be an issue).
i just had to renew an ethics application, and really, what do they care about which strain of mouse i'm using? really? it's a mouse. and they ethics people all sit around and have steak and liver pie for dinner.
Q: What's good about having limited funding available for pursuing new scientific ideas?
it teaches you where and how to look for the "Free stuff" and well also adds some good points to your personality like being thankful for what you have, patient etc etc...
my Q: what is bad about sunny day on the beach?
Sunburn! Not being able to sit down/lie down for days afterwards, being hot and of course the aesthetic points of looking like a lobster. and being from Queensland, I'm sure I should mention skin cancer.
my Q: what's good about having the flu?
U know U are alive and will get well before U know U were sick. U can also irritate ur rivals and may even infect them by sneezing near them. U can sleep at work without being questioned. It will be a good excuse to take a leave, go home and watch soccer on TV. U can drink all night and blame flu for red eyes and hangover.
My Q - What is good about Microsoft?
A: Only good thing it gave us is Windows so that we can peek outside or may be jump out. Added they now have Vista so that all can get a better view of apple trees!
Q: What is bad about professionalism?
A: It is a badly defined, nebulously quality, that changes from one setting to another. Many traits can be listed as non-professional by managers, yet how many of these same managers can name traits that are professional? Or better yet give a clear and concise definition of professionalism. For a concept that is often talked about as vital to a company’s public persona, there is little understanding of what it is. Though what it isn’t seems well understood…. in an unspoken manner.
Furthermore the term professionalism is often used after the fact. Ie you are being fired for none-professional behaviour. Rare is anybody rewarded for professionalism. Thus this term seems to reek as simply being a policy that enables retrograde action on employee behaviour that a company now regrets.
Finally, professionalism in my encounters with it, seems to be deprived of the human touch. Perhaps it removed obnoxious behaviours but it also removed helpfulness and understanding. Professionalism feels cold.
Q: What is bad about world peace and good will to all humankind?