[pete_inthehills (OP)]

In my first year at Uni many many years ago, I remember being told about an experiment concerning acid rain.  Researchers in Sweden (I think) found two lakes linked by a stream such that both lakes had exactly the same flora/fauna and environmental conditions.  So they blocked the stream and poured galleons of acid in to the first lake and left the other alone as a control.

They then monitored the death of the first lake and used it to model the effect of acid rain.

I can remember at the time that I thought this was a bit callous.

Can anyone else remember any other excessive experiments, (perhaps with less death in it)

pete
inthehills

[Karen W.]

Wow that sounds terrible to do to a lake. was there anything done to be able to stablize it again or fix their work as such?

[paul.fr]

This is not true: The CIA invented HIV.
A 2005 study examined the opinions and attitudes of African-Americans to HIV/AIDS. About half of them believed that not only is the cure to AIDS being withheld, but that HIV is an "artificial virus". More specifically, about 15% of them believed that HIV was created by the CIA

This is true:
The Tuskegee Syphilis Study of Alabama. From 1932 to 1972, some 400 poor and mostly illiterate African-Americans with syphilis were studied to understand the natural course of the disease. But, when the simple cure of penicillin became available in 1947, it was deliberately not given to these people. The syphilis made their lives short and miserable, killing most of them with horrendous disabilities. All in the name of science.

[Karen W.]

That is awful Paul! Makes me cry...

[JimBob]

The Army-CIA experimented on unknowing soldiers in the early 50's with LSD. Slipped it into food, drink, etc without consent.

[paul.fr]

what about the british servicement watching the nuclear tests at easter island.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Ive got one

Hybridization of human and animal eggs in the name of research, in the news right now!

The basic idea is to merge human cells with animal eggs, creating embryos from which stem cells could be extracted. The embryos themselves would be destroyed in 14 days, researchers say.

Makes you proud to be British don't it?

[rosy]

Makes you proud to be British don't it?

Yes, actually. That one does.
Where, if anywhere, stem cell research is taking us I don't know. But to call these balls of undifferentiated cells embryos is pushing it a bit. DNA is DNA whether it's in an animal egg cell or your little toe. If this work can get really effective research into these hybrid embryos to develope stem cell therapies, to significantly reduce the need for transplants and improve the health and lives of people with degenerative diseases, without having to obtain human eggs, which only come from "spares" from fertility treatment, then I'm all in favour.

[Bored chemist]

"Makes you proud to be British don't it?
Yes, actually. That one does."
I second that opinion.

(And the one about Easter island looks a whole lot less callous when you remember that, at the time, they didn't know nearly as much about the hazards of radiation.)

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Easy does it, we just slip this one under the mat, then we can crack on with the real purpose of this research. Do I trust these people? No I bloody well don't!
Just another avenue for Jobs for the boys brigade!

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Ever thought that this might provide a cross contamination pathway for virus that curently infects other species? Crossing cells from different species rings an unearthly warning bell in my ears.

Bridging a gap at the cellular structure is not without risk.

Ive got one

Hybridization of human and animal eggs in the name of research, in the news right now!

The basic idea is to merge human cells with animal eggs, creating embryos from which stem cells could be extracted. The embryos themselves would be destroyed in 14 days, researchers say.

Makes you proud to be British don't it?