# What scientific experiments would you like done if ethics was not a concern? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287 "2013-10-26T04:52:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/41 "2013-10-27T18:09:25Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > I would like to try to settle once and for all whether a severed human head can retain any level of consciousness. > > Put somebody in a contraption that’s basically a guillotine turned sideways, with the head held firmly in place. Have tubes and a blood supply ready. The instant that the head is severed, place the tubes into the blood vessels, and start up the blood supply. If all this is done very quickly, I think it would settle the question. Hm, why not insert catheters in the blood vessels and surgically remove the body under twilight sedation. Much less stressful to the body, less chance of shock. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/42 "2013-10-27T18:45:26Z")
There was a case of identical [triplets](http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20077622,00.html) being separated at birth. I saw them on some TV show. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/43 "2013-10-27T21:21:05Z")
> [@11811](#): > > I would like to conjoin two previously separate people. That’s actually been [done](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengele#Human_experimentation); it didn’t turn out so good. You did not want to be a twin at Auschwitz. > [@Shakes](#): > > …I’d also like to find out if you took a baby and raised him in total isolation for 18 years and then stuck a naked lady in front of him, would he get aroused? Or in other words, how has his libido developed? Alternatively raise an infant from birth to sexual maturity with absolutely no contact with (or even knowledge of) the opposite sex. Everything else about the environment would be normal; ideally you’d want to start out with a group of infants. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/44 "2013-10-27T21:25:30Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > That’s actually been [done](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengele#Human_experimentation); it didn’t turn out so good. You did not want to be a twin at Auschwitz. > > Alternatively raise an infant from birth to sexual maturity with absolutely no contact with (or even knowledge of) the opposite sex. Everything else about the environment would be normal; ideally you’d want to start out with a group of infants. [Here](http://oglaf.com/son-of-kronar/) ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/45 "2013-10-27T22:11:04Z")
Pick a mid-size city be that all people must be armed at all times they are outside of their house. Age 10 to Senility. Must have 20 hours of initial weapon training & 10 hour retrain class yearly. ( Do not get all silly about mental illness, restriction on the odd outliers is covered. ) No fully automatics, nothing over .45 cal. A bit more open or easy laws about self defense. Probably need a few more conditions but not right now. This is a good starting place. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/46 "2013-10-27T23:14:52Z")
Build and launch an Orion nuclear-pulse space ship, the fallout be damned. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/47 "2013-10-28T00:15:28Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > Create a Human-Chimp hybrid My thoughts too immediately went to the manpanzee.(people who follow my twitter account aren’t surprised by this). ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/48 "2013-10-28T02:12:28Z")
Oh joy! •Studies about the development of gender roles, and/or sexual orientation. I’m thinking something along the lines of isolated colonies of separated twins/clones, possibly raised by robots. •Torture/“enhanced interrogation” effectiveness studies, properly and scientifically conducted. I’ve pondered how you might do this—both in giving the test subject information you could definitely verify, and giving them a real incentive to keeping it secret besides just “passing the experiment.” A substantial cash reward might do it…actually, this is an experiment you could probably run now, with the right funding and consent forms; at least as far as non-maiming or life threatening tortures. •Perhaps experiments in [prosthetic vision systems](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_prosthesis) could be accelerated with a supply of human test subjects to vivisect. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/49 "2013-10-28T02:40:32Z")
More of a game than an experiment but I’d like to see who would come out on top after a worldwide nuclear war and the extent of the devastation. Need multiple Earths so I can pick different combatants. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/50 "2013-10-28T03:18:14Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > More of a game than an experiment but I’d like to see who would come out on top after a worldwide nuclear war and the extent of the devastation. Need multiple Earths so I can pick different combatants. Ooh! Ooh! I wanna make [Vaults](http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Vault#List_of_known_Vaults). ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/51 "2013-10-28T03:39:36Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > How’s that work [biospere people from the OP]? Food extruding machines? Medical devices? Butler robots? I’d think they’d be feral if they survive at all. Something like that. Depending on the effects of zero human contact on infants, it may be necessary to have actual human caregivers for the first few years (but no talking or anything, of course), who are removed once the new colony members are old enough to toddle around and grab food to put in their mouths. After that it’s on autopilot (culturally) for infinite generations. > [@gracer](#): > > IME all the “raising children with nothing/on an island/no language/no nurturing/etc” is less interesting than you’d think. It’s mostly just very sad. Only at first. Once the first generation breeds you’ve got a whole society starting from scratch. 2nd generation children will live with normal human contact, except it will be (maybe) like nothing we’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/52 "2013-10-28T11:01:05Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Find out whether you die if you burp, fart and sneeze at the same time. I don’t see why this isn’t possible today. I mean, you may have some issues with careful timing, but it’s one of these experiments you can do at home. Eat some beans, drink a lot of fizzy something, and dust your house in pepper. Try it out today and report back - enquiring minds want to know. I’m betting on you coming out singing the Bee Gees’ Stayin’ Alive. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/53 "2013-10-28T12:58:58Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Find out whether you die if you burp, fart and sneeze at the same time. No; you have to burp, fart, sneeze, cough, and hiccup all at the same time to die. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/54 "2013-10-28T18:05:36Z")
> [@Honesty](#): > > Create a Human-Chimp hybrid Admit it, you just want to have sex with a chimp. A sweet, sexy chimp 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287/55 "2013-10-28T19:28:02Z")
See if you can get people to post stuff on the internet\* willingly\* that will come back to haunt them and ruin their lives. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-scientific-experiments-would-you-like-done-if-ethics-was-not-a-concern/672287.md?page=2)