Week3
Prompt:
Identify and discuss an object from the National Museum of Scotland or a site from Curious Edinburgh. Use the questions from the Exercises and the Museum Task and ideas from the lectures and textbooks to connect the object or site to the broader history of science. Do not just say what it is and why it was important; an effective response will demonstrate how you have used themes and ideas from the course to interpret the object or site, and will show what the object or site can tell us about those themes and ideas.
Response: (370 words)
In the National Museum of Scotland, its most stunning artefact is the cloning of Dolly the sheep. 1 The birth of Dolly the sheep is not only a milestone in the field of biotechnology, but also a prime example in the history of science of the evolution of the scientific method, the intertwining of technological innovations and ethical considerations, and the complexity of the interplay between science and technology and the fabric of society.
The study of miracles is not merely a curiosity about the natural world, but a profound exploration of knowledge, power, and culture. (Daston, L. 1998)The emergence of Dolly the cloned sheep is also, to a large extent, a test of nature’s capabilities and the limits of human control over it. In this sense, Dolly symbolises a major redefinition of the natural order, transferring the right to create life from nature to the laboratory, marking a new level of human understanding and manipulation of nature. This redefinition has not only challenged traditional notions of bioethics, but has also prompted people to rethink the nature and origin of life. Public perceptions of science and technology have also undergone a transformation, exemplifying how scientific knowledge interacts with and influences social values. However, the emergence of Dolly is also symbolic of the potential applications of cloning, including the treatment of disease, the conservation of endangered species and the development of reproductive technologies, looking ahead to the positive impacts that science and technology may have.Ian Wilmut and Roger Highfield state that cloning offers a new possibility for the conservation of endangered species. (Ian Wilmut and Roger Highfield, 2006) By cloning endangered animals, scientists can increase the population size of these species, thereby reducing the risk of their extinction. In addition, cloning can also be used to preserve and replicate the genetic diversity of endangered species, which is essential for maintaining the balance of ecosystems.
Through the example of the cloning of Dolly the sheep, there is a strong sense that no scientific discovery or technological innovation occurs in isolation, and that they emerge from specific scientific, technological, social and cultural contexts. Together, these contextual factors shape the trajectory of science, while at the same time being fed back and influenced by scientific progress.
Reference:
Curious Edinburgh. (n.d.). Search results for Dolly the sheep. Available at: http://curiousedinburgh.org/?s=Dolly+the+sheep&searchsubmit= [11/April/2024].
Daston, L. (1998). Wonders and the order of nature, 1150-1750. New York: Zone Books.
Wilmut, I. & Highfield, R. (2006). After Dolly: The uses and misuses of human cloning. First edition. New York: W.W. Norton.
