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Ethics discussion Initial Question:

In 2-3 paragraphs, explain what you think it means to be a virtuous person. In your explanation, provide examples of character qualities that you consider virtuous (e.g. honesty, charity, fidelity, self-control) and explain why these are good qualities to have. List at least two, and make sure to define them. Are there any qualities that you think are important that are neglected in our society?

Ethics assignment Martin Shkreli has occasionally been dubbed “the most hated man in America” since he took over Turing Pharmaceutical in 2015 and raised the price astronomically on a proprietary drug. The incident, and his worker’s dismay over representing the company, can be found here:

However, Shkreli maintains that he was simply trying to maximize profits for his shareholders and that the R&D was being invested into new pharmaceutical innovations.

He has also defended his move on a pragmatic basis, claiming that ultimately only “fat cats” would be hurt, since it’s insurance and corporate insurance companies who have to buy the drug at full price.

However, what has been notable is his absence of apologies and seemingly total lack of concern for what the price hike would do to consumers.

If you want probably the most positive interview with Shkreli, it can be found here:

Taking this issue, is someone like Shkreli correct to simply focus completely on his CEO duties as opposed to being concerned for all stakeholders, including hospitals and insurance companies? Is his mentality the logical consequence of a postmodern point of view, where morality is simply what we make of it and what we prefer, or perhaps a negotiating of pragmatic good? Or is there something objectively wrong with his position and demeanor?

Here is the latest legal update on his case:

The Supreme Court declined his appeal, upholding the verdict.

Furthermore, while the pharmaceutical company had to hire a PR company to help with their image, and also changed its name from Turing to Vyera Pharmaceuticals. It still had to file for bankruptcy protections in 2023. Please see:

I encourage you to do more research on the matter in order to complete the assignment.

Develop your argument in 3-4 paragraphs

Life science discussion

The Immune System and Cancer

Cancer in the News

One of the most common questions about cancer is why is there, no cure yet. The answer is related to the number of mutations and types of cancers. Research in diagnosis, prevention, and treatments continue to advance. Research a news release on the internet for a recent advancement in diagnosis, prevention, early detection, or treatment. Remember our week 1 lesson on evaluating healthcare information in choosing an article. Summarize the article for the class. Include a reference for the article. What did you find most interesting from the article?

In your replies, compare and contrast what you learned from your article, our course readings, and your classmates post.

Life science assignment
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Week 3 discussion The Nuclear Cafe

Class:

I did a complete turnaround on this issue after digging deep into the evidence. Read the WHO & the UN studies. Los Angeles has higher radiation levels than Chernobyl today. See the documentary Pandora’s Promise, and the HBO series Chernobyl. The Russian power plant cut corners on safety. About 31 to 54 people may have died at Chernobyl, and they were directly involved in the onsite cleanup. The increase in cancer off-site is contested. 80% of Frances power is provided by 58 safe 3rd-generation nuclear power plants. Germany and the U.S. are making a mistake not going nuclear and believing the Green hype. No one in the U.S. has ever died from a nuclear accident or was contaminated due to 3 Mile Island. Japan was hit in 2011 by a huge 133-foot tsunami. If their backup cooling generators had been higher and / or waterproof, there would not have been an explosion. Coal, gas and even solar (toxic materials to make them) kill thousands every year. People will not cut back on the energy they use, and yet they dont want to contribute to global warming or climate change. They want more, and solar, wind and natural gas will not deliver at those levels.

What do you think?

week 4 discussion A Lady Tasting Tea

Class:

At a summer tea party in Cambridge, England, a lady states that tea poured into milk tastes differently than that of milk poured into tea. The lady in question claimed to be able to tell whether the tea or the milk was added first to a cup. Her notion was thought unlikely by the scientific minds of the group. But one guest, by the name Sir Ronald Fisher (1890-1962), proposes to scientifically test the lady’s hypothesis. There was no better person to conduct such a test, for Fisher had brought to the field of statistics an emphasis on controlling the methods for obtaining data and the importance of interpretation. He knew that how the data was gathered and applied was as important as the data themselves. Fisher proposed to give her eight cups, four of each variety, in random order. One could then ask what the probability was of her getting the number she got correct or just by chance. The woman got all eight cups correct. The chance of someone who just guesses getting all correct, assuming she guesses that four had the tea put in first and four the milk, would be only 1 in 70 (p=.014). Apparently, the lady knew her tea.

Can you think of something in your everyday life that could be tested with research?