In an article in the Feb. 1 issue of The Scientist,1 Ricki Lewis asks whether the pig is replaceable as a laboratory research animal. The fetal pig as a specimen for biology dissection labs is indeed replaceable--not by [a] multitude of other animals ..., but by viable and effective alternatives, including Pierian Spring Software, BioLab Pig, and ScienceWorks, and DissectionWorks: The Pig. The article states that students accept the fetal pig as an ethical "alternative" to other animals. Yet only virtual dissection alternatives offer a true ethical solution, pleasing students and educators alike. Neither the student's education, ethics, nor health is jeopardized. Educators' academic freedom and budgets too are not compromised. Those interested in trying either product can loan them out through The Science Bank, which offers alternatives to dissection free of charge to interested educators. This service is through the American Anti-Vivisection Society's Animalearn program.
There is irony in ...
