New at Reason

Tim Cavanaugh | November 25, 2005

Ron Bailey asks what did Woo Hwang Suk know about the superovulation scandal and when did he know it?

Comments

|11.25.05 @ 7:24PM|#

I hope this doesn't hinder research.

|11.25.05 @ 8:29PM|#

Ok, he wins the contest for most unfortunate name, Korean edition just beating Yoo Wang Choo by five votes.

|11.25.05 @ 8:37PM|#

I doubt it will. What drives research is money, and it is all still there. It will just flow around Dr. Suk.

However, this man should be in for some serious trouble. Lying in order to cover up ethical violations is clearly outside of the bounds of responsible research.

While I think most of us here at Reason would agree that there is no ethical issue with informed, consensual sale of human eggs, there are good reasons for the general prohibition of using the researchers' own eggs (this can be done at the university/journal/research society levels if you want to obey more libertarian sensibilities). The relationship between graduate students or post-docs and the head researcher is one of such unbalanced power that it easily can be abused. While you are working in a lab, you are one-step above an indentured servant. Leaving, or even switching laboratories, will set you back years of your life - not a trivial choice at all. If your advisor says it, hints at it, or merely fails to outright forbid it, you do it. Dr. Suk should have known this.

|11.25.05 @ 9:59PM|#

Huh Huh Huh, he said Suk.

|11.26.05 @ 7:11PM|#

Apparently Woo Suk Eggs.

|11.27.05 @ 1:08PM|#

I'm not sure I understand the argument against giving money to donors. Donating the eggs is ok, but they shouldn't be paid too much money because then the poor might want to donate eggs for money. Well if donating eggs in itself is ok, why is this a problem? More to the point, why is this a problem that shouldn't be decided by the individuals involved, but must instead have regulations imposed upon it? I guess we have to stop paying people for donated blood now, because if the poor ever catch on that they can make money doing that, the world will.....uh....

|11.28.05 @ 1:15AM|#

actually, it sounds to me like there was a bit of an overreaction to his lie, kind of like the cover up was worse than the crime. I'm not saying lying is ok, but I am saying the doctor has more honor than Pres. Bush.