Letter - Reject Nazi Data

I am astonished that in this day and age, an eminent scientist such as Alan C. Nixon should resort to barbarism. For it is barbarism when he writes that it is alright to use data obtained from experiments on human subjects, obtained without their knowledge or consent. Whether it is prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates in Nazi Germany, blacks in the southern U.S.A. (a syphilis study), an unsuspecting public in New York City and San Francisco (bacterial vector studies by U.S. Army), an

Written byPhilip Siekevitz
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

I am astonished that in this day and age, an eminent scientist such as Alan C. Nixon should resort to barbarism. For it is barbarism when he writes that it is alright to use data obtained from experiments on human subjects, obtained without their knowledge or consent. Whether it is prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates in Nazi Germany, blacks in the southern U.S.A. (a syphilis study), an unsuspecting public in New York City and San Francisco (bacterial vector studies by U.S. Army), and many more instances, there is an ethical and moral code which is ignored in all these cases. Nixon seems to imply that anything goes in the name of science. Well, anything does not go; there are certain experiments which should not be performed by one human being upon another. The end does not justify the means, for as has been shown countless times in human ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Related Topics

Meet the Author

Published In

Share
Image of a man in a laboratory looking frustrated with his failed experiment.
February 2026

A Stubborn Gene, a Failed Experiment, and a New Path

When experiments refuse to cooperate, you try again and again. For Rafael Najmanovich, the setbacks ultimately pushed him in a new direction.

View this Issue
Human-Relevant In Vitro Models Enable Predictive Drug Discovery

Advancing Drug Discovery with Complex Human In Vitro Models

Stemcell Technologies
Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Redefining Immunology Through Advanced Technologies

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance in AAV Manufacturing with Analytical Ultracentrifugation

Beckman Coulter Logo
Conceptual multicolored vector image of cancer research, depicting various biomedical approaches to cancer therapy

Maximizing Cancer Research Model Systems

bioxcell

Products

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Pioneers Life Sciences Innovation with High-Quality Bioreagents on Inside Business Today with Bill and Guiliana Rancic

Sino Biological Logo

Sino Biological Expands Research Reagent Portfolio to Support Global Nipah Virus Vaccine and Diagnostic Development

Beckman Coulter

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences Partners with Automata to Accelerate AI-Ready Laboratory Automation

Refeyn logo

Refeyn named in the Sunday Times 100 Tech list of the UK’s fastest-growing technology companies