August 1, 2022 Allyson J. Bennett, Amanda M. Dettmer, Justin A. Varholick Vegans are often defined as anyone who does not eat any food derived from animals and does not use any animal products. This means that they are also often opposed to the use of animals for research and testing of medicines, vaccines, and … Continue reading What should a vegan do about vaccinations?
Category: Philosophy
#Evergreen: Fair partners in dialogue: Starting assumptions matter and they should be spelled out
April 2nd 2021 In the last few weeks we have detailed the irresponsible behavior of those opposed to animal research during the pandemic and the hypocrisy of their rhetoric now that vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization—thanks to over a decade of animal research as well as in safety and efficacy testing. We also wrote about how recent media coverage … Continue reading #Evergreen: Fair partners in dialogue: Starting assumptions matter and they should be spelled out
Should animal testing be used to produce safe medicines for other animals?
March 31, 2021 Allyson J. Bennett, PhD and Jeremy D. Bailoo, PhD Pets directly benefit from animals in testing, research, and teaching veterinary medicine. In fact, pet medicine is big business, projected to reach $12 billion by 2022. In the US alone, 67% of households reportedly have pets. Data from the 2019-20 pet owners survey … Continue reading Should animal testing be used to produce safe medicines for other animals?
Connecting action to consequence: Should those opposed to animal research and testing follow the Catholics’ model?
March 11, 2021, Allyson J. Bennett, PhD Recent media coverage of Catholic leaders’ endorsement of COVID vaccines provides an interesting model for thinking about public information and decisions concerning the use of nonhuman animals in research and testing for medical products and treatments. First, the situation illustrates why accurate information and understanding of how medicines … Continue reading Connecting action to consequence: Should those opposed to animal research and testing follow the Catholics’ model?
International Bias: Enough is Enough
February 4th 2020 Despite nationalistic tendencies and international bias being ever present on the political scene, they have no place in science or scientific discourse. Science works best with fewer/no borders because it embodies objectivity (based on evidence rather than perceptions). Therefore, social and other media bias against the quality of science and the animal … Continue reading International Bias: Enough is Enough
Understanding the animal, not just its parts
A recent article in the Atlantic, “How Brain Scientists Forgot That Brains Have Owners” is making headlines. The journalist claims that in an article published in early February, titled “Neuroscience Needs Behavior: Correcting Reductionist Bias”, fancy new technologies have led the field of neuroscience astray. The original scientific publication does draw attention to an area … Continue reading Understanding the animal, not just its parts
Sanctuary, Zoo, Lab: Name Games or Core Differences?
The announcement of a research partnership between Lincoln Park Zoo (Chicago) and Chimp Haven (a federally funded sanctuary for NIH retired chimpanzees) has led to increased dialogue, particularly in regards to what this means for the chimpanzees' well-being and importantly, the kinds of activities that a sanctuary is allowed to engage with the animals under … Continue reading Sanctuary, Zoo, Lab: Name Games or Core Differences?
Was Jeremy Bentham an Antivivisectionist?
In this post we look at whether or not Jeremy Bentham, an eminent 18th and 19th century English philosopher, was opposed to animal experiments. Ahead of his time in many areas, Bentham advocated for freedom of expression, abolition of slavery, equal rights for women, and the separation of church and state. His Utilitarian philosophy has … Continue reading Was Jeremy Bentham an Antivivisectionist?
Speaking of Research 