Journal 2

Biomedical engineering is an expertise at the intersection of biology and engineering.  Ethical issues in biomedical engineering is include bioethics, medical ethics and engineering ethics. Human enhancement is a particular ethical issue in R&D of biomedical engineering related with cellar genetic and tissue engineering, biomaterials, prostheses and implants, neural engineering.

From my point of view, I support that biomedical engineering attempt to enhance the human body. Yet, it can be only used in improving human’s lives and never in any malefic way.

Nowadays, there is a growing number of disable people. It is reported that nearly 1 in 5 people had a disability in the U.S. in 2010. Disablement is kind of tragedy not only for themselves but also for their family to some extent. These people want human enhancement desirously, and this is the most meaningful way how biomedical engineering help people by enhancing the human body.

In other field, the human enhancement is necessary as well. For example, the earthquake and tsunami happened in Japan caused nuclear accident, and over 200,000 people were evacuated. If biomedical engineering could enhance people’s bodies in defending nuclear attack, perhaps the nuclear accident would not have such big influence. Even nuclear crisis would be eliminated, because the nuclear is not threat any more.

Furthermore, biomedical engineering can also enhance human body by creating cyborgs which means that beings are part human, part machine, which is a hot conception in science fictions novels or movies. However, in reality, cyborg should be prohibited. If a health person enhances his/her body by installing a weapon, it would cause a panic that no one wants it to take place. Even though it is a hypothesis, the modern technology can almost apply it into real life. Therefore, a special law should be set up to prevent cyborgs.