Science and Society

Science and Society 2 - Snake Envenoming

An important learning goal for our course is to think critically and ethically about how and by whom science is conducted, and to think about the societal impacts of biological research. To that end, please read the linked articles and re;lect on them by answering questions provided.

The readings will cover sensitive subjects and the questions may push you outside your comfort zone. That is ok. Research shows that with a little discomfort comes the greatest gains.

Feel free to post about this assignment (as any other) on Piazza, keeping in mind that for everyone to express their opinions and participate in discussions about sensitive subjects, they need to feel safe, their experiences need to feel honored, and they need not fear retaliation. Thus, it is best to establish ground rules for discussions. The University of Michigan Center for Research on Learning and Teaching offers these rules to establish to foster a more productive discussion:

• Respect one another’s views.

• Criticize ideas, not individuals.

• Commit to learning, not debating.

• Avoid blame and speculation.

• Avoid in;lammatory language.

• Acknowledge that one’s opinions are formed by their unique experiences.

• No hate speech or bullying.

(We added the last two.)

This week’s assignment will have you consider data about snakes—their co-evolution with humans and envenoming as a neglected public health priority.

S & S Assigment 2

Humans are having an undeniably large impact on the Earth and all living things. This impact is not just one of immediate effect, but also one of an evolutionary effect. In this exercise you will consider the evolutionary and societal consequences of humans’ interactions with snakes. Before considering ethics in particular, you are asked to review a few concepts.

Use the ;igures provided in this assignment to answer the following questions. Your answers should be clear and concise. We expect you to answer each in 2-3 sentences. You will be graded on your honest and respectful contribution, not your opinions

Spitting cobras are snakes that protect themselves by shooting jets of venom into the eyes of their attacker. The venom blinds the attacker, preventing further attack. Many cobras of this type achieve greater spitting distances by hurling their bodies into the air while they spit. This act is energy-intensive, and for all venomous snakes, after the venom is deployed it can take several hours to replenish the supply.

The authors of a recent study (https://tinyurl.com/ 2zjptx9h) hypothesized that the evolution of venom spitting was a result of natural selection—likely in response to hunting by early humans, rather than in response to trampling by hoofed animals like buffalo or zebra. Among the evidence they offered is that humans have forward-facing eyes, whereas hooved animals have eyes that are side-facing. This means that spitting venom is a more effective blinding strategy against a human than against a zebra.

1. Humans continue to act as agents of selection in a variety of ways. Our cities, for example, create an environment that selects for larger brains (https://tinyurl.com/ 5n6zh9ka) in mice and voles. And birds are changing in size and shape (https:// tinyurl.com/ydr8zvh4) as a result of gobal warming. Is there a difference in humans’ moral culpability or obligation when we act as agents of selection directly (for example, by preying on snakes) versus indirectly (by building cities or causing climate change)? Explain your reasoning.

2. According to the World Health Organization and other authorities, envenomings (snake bites or spittings that result in poisoning) are a neglected public health issue.

Most envenomings occur in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and the people being disproportionately affected are people from low-income communities living in rural or highly agricultural areas.

You can read more about snakebite envenoming here (https://tinyurl.com/ 4jdvhy8v). Comment on the ethical obligations of people in high-income communities to fund research and action on public health crises that have different impacts on people in high-income versus low-income groups.

3. In contrast to many other serious health conditions, effective treatments for envenomings exist: high quality antivenoms. However, the people most effected by envenoming often have the most restricted access to the antivenoms (either because the treatment is expensive or far away). Comment on whether and how this changes your analysis of the ethical issues you considered in Question 2.

4. Converting knowledge to action: In addition to the issues above, public health experts also recognize that envenoming is a grossly under-reported issue. Read about an example here (https://tinyurl.com/4;k7nz8y). Given what you know about sampling bias, why is it important to advocate for increased and adequate reporting? Explain your reasoning either in the context of envenoming or in the context of another societal issue that is vulnerable to sampling bias.