Abstract
To guide our decisions and actions in our daily lives, we often rely on our internal sense of right and wrong, called ethics. Our ethics help us to be kind, truthful, and fair. Scientists also have ethical “rules” to follow to ensure that their research—and the powerful technologies that spring from it—are used to help people, not harm them. Ethical guidelines for scientists include respecting human rights, limiting harm to animals, keeping the public safe, and being honest and truthful about their work. In this article, we will explain what scientific ethics are and why strong ethics are particularly important as powerful new technologies develop more quickly. We will give examples of what can happen if scientists do not follow ethical rules and explain how these situations are not always simple. Finally, we will describe how new technologies may change which behaviors societies consider ethical. Join us in an exploration of the “conscience” of science!
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