Scientific morality

Modern critics suggest that Scientists should take moral responsibility for their own advances in science. This corresponds with a perceived inability for moral values to keep pace with scientific progress, cloning being a prime example.

For discussion:

1) At what point is a scientist responsible for his discoveries. In theory the first major step towards the nuclear bomb was Rutherford’s nuclear theory, is he responsible for the ensuing arms race? in a science based on incremental steps, who, if anyone is responsible for scientific progress.

2) If Science is responsible for moral values associated with scientific progress, should politicians be allowed to play with scientific advances through legislation and funding?

3) If a scientific area is found to be morally objectionable by one society, are it better for that society to make the greatest advances in that science so as to control its direction rather than banning it and allowing a society without such objections to move ahead without such restraints.