Dangerous Curiosity: How Ethical Is Brain Research?

Science has long been fascinated by the brain. Not only is the brain incredibly complex, but it is also seen as the producer of consciousness, so understanding it can be seen as the ultimate challenge. When does the study of become immoral?

In the words of renowned physiologist and professor emeritus Dennis Noble, “We have consciousness. If the brain is not functioning, we cannot. This widely-agreed belief should remind us to be careful when experimenting with the brain, especially the human brain.

For years, researchers have warned fellow neuroscientists that they could tread immoral territory if the ethics of their research were not properly considered. Clusters of tissue made up of stem cells have been found to spontaneously emit brain waves similar to those seen in premature babies. Alongside the questionable morality of creating what could be sentient beings, there are concerns about whether subjects can suffer. Proving that is probably difficult, so the work continues regardless. In fact, some researchers argue that experimenting with brain cells alone cannot induce stress because they lack nociceptors, the nerves that detect damage. The fact remains that we probably shouldn’t move on until we have a better understanding of what we’re doing.

A Whole New Moral Question

The latest research also raises concerns. Recently, it was announced that a scientist had successfully taught lab-grown brain cells to play his 1970s video game Pong. The cells were attached to the video game via electrodes, generated electrical activity, and apparently learned how to play in five minutes, with a much higher success rate than random chance. claimed to have created “sentient” brain cells that have been viewed as unsubstantiated by some scientists. Ethical guidelines need to be put in place if research is to yield truly sentient brain ensembles. Especially since brain cells alone cannot consent to experiments.

Perhaps the most sinister research involved transplanting human brain cells into rats. According to this study, the human brain-like implant can transmit signals and respond to environmental cues, including rat whiskers. It was suggested that when researchers touched the whiskers, human cells in the brain could respond and detect sensory information.

This opens up entirely new moral questions about whether animals containing human brain cells deserve the same experimental protection as humans. In 2021, a report from the National Academy of Sciences, Academy of Engineering and Medicine argued that giving animals new cognitive abilities can be painful and that the field should be closely monitored. The idea of ​​a human mind inside an animal subject is an undeniably disturbing idea, reminiscent of Kafka’s Metamorphosis.

But researchers would argue that the potential benefits of brain research should not be overlooked. Important medical and neurological advances may occur as a result of this work. Studies of brain cells and human-animal hybrids may reveal the mechanisms of the disease and allow for further testing. may lead to the development of Curing such common neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders is believed to justify experimentation to get there.

But can the results really justify the means? Can we overlook experiments to treat neurological disorders using conscious cells or human brains trapped in animal bodies? is a dilemma at the heart of brain research, a question that sooner or later demands an answer.