Letter - Don't Use Nazi Data - The Scientist - Magazine of the Life Sciences
Abstract
I have just finished reading Alan C. Nixon's article "If The Data's Good, Use It - Regardless Of The Source," in the November 14 issue of The Scientist, page 9. (In the run-in title, data is correctly treated as plural.) I do not wish to argue that the data generated from experiments performed in concentration camps must not be used, but I do wish to argue strongly that Dr. Nixon's argumentation totally conflates the issue. Nixon starts with statements that such data should be used because they might occasionally save lives and make other "experiments" unnecessary. This argument is certainly worthy of discussion. However, Dr. Nixon also confuses the fundamental basis for most objection to these particular experiments. Unless I am mistaken, the objection does not reflect a general distaste for the Nazi government per se or in parallel for the government of Japan, which generated another major block of data using American, Chinese, and other prisoners. The objection is very specific that information gathered by scientists willing to perform involuntary experiments that are life threatening, or horribly painful and generally fatal, on people who are convicted felons, prisoners of war, or inhabitants of concentration camps is morally