DIY Science: A Cure for Cancer of the Next Plague
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Ashley Vaughn
Abstract
A twenty-something college student with an interest in science sits in his garage. He is tinkering with genetic materials and gene editing. He has ordered materials over the internet, has all the items he could want, and even has his own test subject—himself. He could inject himself with whatever products his experimentation manufactures. Our hypothetical college student has all the materials in his hands to make the next greatest discovery in the fight against cancer, or to create—intentionally or by accident—a genetically modified disease that could be incredibly lethal to the entire globe. This twenty-something college student is one of many emerging do-it-yourself scientists (“DIYers”). The reality of do-it-yourself (“DIY”) science is here, and it might be severely under regulated. This type of research could pose significant risks to all of humanity if an appropriate regulatory scheme is not developed. Conversely, too much regulation could prevent innovation.
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- Introduction to Volume XI
- Articles
- Vaccines and the Armed Forces: There “AIN’T” NO “Anti-vaxxers” in the Military
- Mandatory Incident Reporting as a Means to Counter C/B Terrorism: Moving from Accident-based to Incident-based Systems
- DIY Science: A Cure for Cancer of the Next Plague
- The Constitutionality of Mandatory Vaccinations: Eliminating Exemptions
- The Food Safety Fence: Gaps and Consequences
- Biosurveillance: A Modern Look
- The 2014 Global Health Security Agenda
- Let’s Make a (Smart) Deal: Biodiplomacy in the Age of Trump
Articles in the same Issue
- Introduction
- Introduction to Volume XI
- Articles
- Vaccines and the Armed Forces: There “AIN’T” NO “Anti-vaxxers” in the Military
- Mandatory Incident Reporting as a Means to Counter C/B Terrorism: Moving from Accident-based to Incident-based Systems
- DIY Science: A Cure for Cancer of the Next Plague
- The Constitutionality of Mandatory Vaccinations: Eliminating Exemptions
- The Food Safety Fence: Gaps and Consequences
- Biosurveillance: A Modern Look
- The 2014 Global Health Security Agenda
- Let’s Make a (Smart) Deal: Biodiplomacy in the Age of Trump
