Teaching social responsibility: the Manhattan project. Commentary on "The Six Domains of Research".
This paper discusses the critical necessity of teaching students about the social and ethical responsibilities of scientists. Both a university scientist and a middle school science teacher reflect on the value of teaching the ethical issues that confront scientists. In the development of the atomic bomb in the US-led Manhattan Project, scientists faced the growing threat of atomic bombs by the Germans and Japanese and the ethical issues involved in successfully completing such a destructive weapon. The Manhattan Project is a prime example of the types of ethical dilemmas and social responsibilities that scientists may confront.
Gilmer
Penny J
PJ
Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4390, USA. gilmer@chem.fsu.edu
DuBois
Michael
M
D004989:Ethics; D004995:Ethics, Professional / Q000193:education* / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D009516:New Mexico; D009689:Nuclear Warfare / Q000266:history*; D012586:Science / Q000193:education* / Q000266:history; D012941:Social Responsibility