The Nerve of these Ethics People...

Ethicists are "creeping" into science, and boy are they annoying:

In the late 1990s, senior researchers at a national research centre obtained funding to interview young drug users about their illicit activities. When they applied for ethics clearance, they were told by their university research ethics committee that the research could take place only if interviewees signed consent forms in the presence of witnesses. A couple of years later, another researcher who proposed replicating a US study by interviewing Australian legal gun owners in their homes was warned by her university of the 'potential impropriety' of such a visit and instructed to take a chaperone with her to each interview.

They Learned it from Justice Thomas

The U.S. House of Representatives (note to foreign readers: this is where the really conservative Americans go to learn to run the government) has taken the smart path out of its past few years of ethics scandals, which, after all, only involved marginal political figures like Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Nothing drastic planned, just a simple reform intended to prevent America from hearing over and over again about corruption in the House. Ethics classes? No. Try "new rules."

The proposal being circulated among House Republicans would end a general rule against any behavior that might bring "discredit" on the chamber, according to House Republican and Democratic leadership aides. House members would be held to a narrower standard of behavior in keeping with the law, the House's rules and its ethics guidelines.

Don't ask. Don't tell.

Pharma Discusses How to be Ethical

Pharmaceutical Executive prints a transcript of the proceedings of a high-power discussion of how to be ethical in the pharmaceutical business. "The conversation was moderated by Joseph Cohen, a partner at the law firm. The participants were Raul Perea-Henze, MD, senior director/team leader, science and medical advocacy, for Pfizer; Roger Louis, chief compliance officer for Genzyme; Nicholas Capaldi, PhD, Legendre-Soule chair in business ethics at Loyola University New Orleans; Kevin Soden, MD, worldwide medical director for Texas Instruments and Celanese, and medical reporter for NBC and MSNBC; and Patrick Clinton, editor-in-chief of Pharm Exec." Trust me, you want to read this. But go get a good strong drink first, then re-open your laptop.