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Published online 11 June 2008 | Nature 453, 833 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453833a
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Swiss court bans work on macaque brains
Universities appeal against ruling on animals' dignity.
Zurich's two largest institutes are appealing to the country's supreme court after a lower court decided to ban two primate experiments studying how the brain adapts to change. They say that the ban is a serious threat to all basic research that uses animals in Switzerland.
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As a scientist, I understand other scientists in pursue of data that might be of relevance. However, today more than ever, we as humans must be conscious and responsible for every life we take. I do not agree, and I think there is growing number of scientists that would coincide, with pointless sacrifices of laboratory animals to answer non existing questions.
Monkeys are ugly, why shouldn't we exploit them to enhance our human condition? I mean its not as if they feel responsible for us. (just for the record this not my actual opinion, but it is an interesting question)