The Ethics of Animal use in Research | Courtney Bannerman | TEDxQueensU

For decades laboratory animals have contributed to a multitude of medical advancements, ranging from insulin to cutting edge cancer treatments. Their use in research, although vital, has been controversial with many claiming that technology has progressed to a point where they are no longer needed. Computational modeling, cell, and tissue culturing techniques have made leaps and bounds but ultimately we are not yet in a place where animals and their products can be completely removed from the research process. In the past scientists who use animals in their work and spoke out in support have been threatened and harmed but Ph.D. candidate Courtney Bannerman believes it is important for people to hear both sides of the argument for the public to make an informed stance on animal use.

[juliantotriwijaya]

It's nice that this presentation is intellectually honest/not biased & addresses both sides of the argument, it mentions the limitations of both sides and *why* as of now scientists *cannot* replace animals completely *yet.* Her breathing and body language, I can tell she's *secretly nervous* on stage, I'm also like her, so I can relate with/tell that kind of breathing and stiff body. I say the presentation is great, concise/to the point, and she is strong enough to not faint, she tries *hard* to think and say things clearly with that nervous body.

Edit: Listen to her breathing, to the pause in words/sentence, the way her body move, the way she can't stand still in an attempt to distract her mind/body to focus on the presentation and not the audience, how she glances away a lot.

[sailskank]

This is a very thoughtfully supported talk. I enjoyed listening. After thinking about the information received and my own beliefs related to animal research, I feel there are a lot of concepts that are not taken into consideration regarding an individual's ethical beliefs as well as animal rights. I also think it is okay to have a difference in beliefs and that they should be equally respected. Personally, I do not support animal research. I understand that it is widely used to ensure that pharmaceuticals and cosmetics among many other things are safe for human consumption and use. I think people should also understand that there are people like me who accept that life is full of illness, injury, death, chronic pain, consequences, etc. and would rather find alternative interventions and/or products to use based on individual beliefs surrounding animal research and testing. I am thankful that there seems to be a lot of regulations and care taken to ensure the most humane research testing is done but I am also confident in my own beliefs and I would not wish suffering on any other living creature to reduce the suffering of myself or my family. In the end, it is an individual belief. No one can state that animal testing and research is ethical as a simple fact. It is subjective and that is okay.

[cannibalitic]

This really shaped my view of animal research, since it's a very grey area on both sides of the debate. Currently writing about this topic for my argumentative essay, thank you.

[katiewalden]

It is a complex subject -but I have to admit I find animal testing extremely distressing, I personally would rather not have medical intervention if it means that animal testing will continue to be utilised for research. This practice feels like it is just industrialised, and I feel upset that I was not asked if I want animal testing to continue - in fact, I don't think there has ever been a public vote? I believe we are capable of moving forward, and as a society taking responsibility for the other species of earth, rather than exploiting them.

[VampguyN]

What you taught me is the ends justify the means. You never discussed the level of pain and suffering the animals feel and experience when being used for testing.

[dillo]

If its not okay to do it to a human, its not okay to do it to an animal. We are by no means more important than any other creatures that inhabit our universe, let alone our planet.

[melchiorlise]

I am a biologh student, and I have to decide on my specialty for mext year. I want to go in biomedical sciences, but I would be required to experiment on animals. I don't really know how I feel about that, I love animals but I also want to help people get cured. I don't know if I am strong enough

[craigfinnegan]

I'm a former employee at two different research facilities that used animals. Research using animals is like terrorism in that terrorists hide psychotic urges behind religious and political beliefs, while researchers who inflict pain and death on animals hide their psychotic urges behind scientific beliefs and career status. Torturing animals is also an early symptom exhibited by serial killers and school shooters - the difference being that the research scientists remain frozen in the animal torture phase and don't progress to preying on humans.

[joeyracano]

Using animals for research is the lowest human behavior possible. Nobody should make that kind of decision for anyone else- not even for an animal.

[noname-ukik]

I was hoping this talk would address WHY is it ethical to value human life over other animals...especially regarding testing on mammals that are more similar to humans than they are different. This should have been titled differently or presented by someone with a background in philosophy or bioethics

[hawkcries]

It's fairly common knowledge:

"95% of drugs tested to be safe and effective in animals fail in human clinical trials. Similarly, for evaluating the safety of chemicals, the legacy animal-based methods are not sufficiently reliable to accurately predict adverse outcomes on human health and the environment." CCAAM Canada's first non-animal testing facility. You threaten and harm animals constantly. The harm or threats that you talk about being given to animal testing supporters is a drop in the ocean of suffering compared to the unnecessary suffering the animals go through. ..

[shreyas.loves.plants]

its funny how we obtain consent when doing human trials from the volunteers but don't do the same when it comes to animals... non-human animals have the same capacity to suffer and feel pain just like us humans.

[JM-xiyn]

If I'm not gonna eat it, I'm not gonna kill it ( but that's just me). I dont agree with using critters but I understand that science isn't always pretty

[magnanimousmantaray]

It would be neat to see greater initiative to pursue minimally invasive approaches to animal research (I doubt that numerical tissue modeling will completely replace lab studies in the next 100 years, but in tandem with machine learning and more sensitive biometrics it could probably help avoid wasting resources on studies that ultimately prove irrelevant.)

[tashaaxxanimalloverx]

So beagles aren't force fed chemicals!? Or don't mention the fact they have no rights !? They're legally allowed to be bled out whilst still alive, shot, stabbed, drowned ....won't mention that either

[watertiteman]

Imagine how much more quickly and accurately studies could have been carried out if we had only chosen to use human models for studies on how to help humans? Ethics and morals are relative; We all know that. And, I would wager that science and technology would have much more quickly evolved to eliminate the need for a living human model to boot.

[TrueEnlightment]

I want to hear both sides of the argument

[Espressoqueen]

It's really not fair to these creatures

[lucasmoavro]

Any ethics in the use of animals. Use yourself

[EERIEBANDANA]

DO NOT DO ANIMAL TESTING DONT SAY ITS FOR BACK PAIN CHRONIC PAIN THINK ABOUT THE MOUSE