Do you accept the dissection of animals in science?
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I just said I'm against making students do it. I don't know if this is something that is common but I suppose I'm just speaking hypothetically.
I never said I don't accept dissections. I have no problem with them being done for education and being a part of schooling, as long as it is an optional part. I can accept something and still not want to do it myself. I don't know why that concept is so hard for some people to understand.
And no, it just bothers me when people say "get over it" in general, as it is a very insensitive thing to say. I'm not trying to attack anyone and I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just have experience with phobias and mental health issues so I know exactly how hurtful and offensive it can be when someone says that.
Biology was my favourite science in high school. I took it all the way through to grade 12. I dissected octopuses, baby pigs, and sharks. Each time I thought it was really interesting. I'm also a vegetarian. If no one's gone out and shot dead an endangered species or by any other means killed the specimen (at least in a way it wouldn't have been killed anyway), then I really don't have a huge problem with it. Dissection is an important method of learning about species, and in the case of humans, learning about ourselves. I'd much rather have a specimen be used for science than be eaten.
Also, I was never forced to do dissections. The octopus was in grade 8, and you could opt out of it. The pig and shark were in grade 11 and 12 biology, which were not mandatory for students (unless you needed biology for post-secondary, in which case you should start getting used to dissections).
Does anyone watch The Brain Scoop? It's a really cool educational show about biology and ecology, centred around the Field Museum in Chicago. They cover a whole range of topics, but most famously they've done several episodes on dissection. They've dissected a two-faced calf, a wolf, an anteater, a really gnarly squirrel, and maybe a couple of others. (All the videos with gross stuff in it have a warning at the beginning).
Some fantastic advice on dissection:
Also, I was never forced to do dissections. The octopus was in grade 8, and you could opt out of it. The pig and shark were in grade 11 and 12 biology, which were not mandatory for students (unless you needed biology for post-secondary, in which case you should start getting used to dissections).
Does anyone watch The Brain Scoop? It's a really cool educational show about biology and ecology, centred around the Field Museum in Chicago. They cover a whole range of topics, but most famously they've done several episodes on dissection. They've dissected a two-faced calf, a wolf, an anteater, a really gnarly squirrel, and maybe a couple of others. (All the videos with gross stuff in it have a warning at the beginning).
Some fantastic advice on dissection:
You know almost all shark species are endangered,right?
The sharks we used were farmed, not taken from the wild. At least, this is what we were told. The sharks were in old age, we could tell from their condition.
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Whoa, I didn't know dissection was such a big issue for some people. Sure it is gross, but I don't see anything morally wrong with it. Well, I suppose if the animal wasn't dead, I'd be a little concerned, but otherwise nah. It is perfectly fine to me. No worse than eating an animal.
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