Portfolio Entry 5

If brain scanning technology is not strictly supervised, the general public's privacy will be threatened and jeopardized. This is because such technology like functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI)can read our mind and even access our memory eventually. As a researcher, I will not use such technology for personal purpose and not in any case without the consent from the authorized party. In Singapore, the use of brain scanning technology are closely watched by Bioethic Advisory Committee which examines ethical, legal and social issues, arising from research on human biology and behaviour and its applications. Furthermore, the data collected from brain scanning of the individuals are highly confidential. I will not reveal them to any third party for commercial purpose.If necessary, those data are to be deleted immediately after the experiments.There are definitely people who wants to make money by selling those private and confidential personal data. This mean is indeed unethical because each individual somehow has some bad memory or secrets that they will never want anyone to know. Thus, as a researcher, I shall protect the test target's memory being accessed by me or anyone else if there is no consent from him or her. Besides being responsible for the technology controlled by me, I shall influence other researchers to be responsible for what they are doing. To prevent others from abusing the technology is also important. As an individual, I cannot do much about this. However, this kind of professional responsibility can be developed during their tertiary education and professional trainings. Thus, I believe NUS should also instill professional responsibility and social responsibility into their students. Then they will exploit any technology they control unethically and they will even prevent others from misusing the technology in their workforce. Therefore, to inculcate the university students with a sense of professional responsibility could prevent unethical abuse of any technology thoroughly.