ETHICS IN LIFE SCIENCES
2024-2025
Lecture 1
Introduction
1 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
,THREE (IN)FAMOUS INVENTORS
?
Thomas Nikola Thomas
Midgley jr. Tesla Edison
2 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
, Thomas Midgley jr.
invented 2 harmful things
Inventor of leaded fuel and
chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs)
• Leaded fuel: keeps engines from
“knocking” (working for General
Motors)
• CFSs: used as refrigerants (in
refrigerators), propellants (in spray
cans) and solvents
• Cause depletion of the ozon layer;
phased out under the Montreal
Protocol
3 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
, Leaded fuel
• Immense negative impact on
• human health (esp. children) and
• environment
• It took more than half a century
before all fuels were free of lead
(again)
• The toxicity of lead was already known (for some
2000 years) and known to Midgley
• An alternative was readily available (but expensive)
• Midgley "had more adverse impact on the
atmosphere than any other single organism in
Earth's history“ (McNeil 2001)
A short documentary on lead in fuels can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3dnLzthDA
4 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
2024-2025
Lecture 1
Introduction
1 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
,THREE (IN)FAMOUS INVENTORS
?
Thomas Nikola Thomas
Midgley jr. Tesla Edison
2 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
, Thomas Midgley jr.
invented 2 harmful things
Inventor of leaded fuel and
chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs)
• Leaded fuel: keeps engines from
“knocking” (working for General
Motors)
• CFSs: used as refrigerants (in
refrigerators), propellants (in spray
cans) and solvents
• Cause depletion of the ozon layer;
phased out under the Montreal
Protocol
3 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
, Leaded fuel
• Immense negative impact on
• human health (esp. children) and
• environment
• It took more than half a century
before all fuels were free of lead
(again)
• The toxicity of lead was already known (for some
2000 years) and known to Midgley
• An alternative was readily available (but expensive)
• Midgley "had more adverse impact on the
atmosphere than any other single organism in
Earth's history“ (McNeil 2001)
A short documentary on lead in fuels can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV3dnLzthDA
4 Ethics in Life Sciences ‘24-25 / Lecture 1
