Science Sunday: Pax

Firefly, the short lived, but much loved science fiction television show introduced us to a drug called Pax that, when pumped into the air of humans, was able to make 90% of them docile, amiable, and happy. (The other 10% went bonkers.) Drugs that tap into human altruism and goodness have been major plot devices for Brave New World (Soma), the works of Philip K. Dick, Anthem (Allswell), and Stanislaw Lem’s Altruizin.

Apparently were even closer to this reality than before. Dr. Guy Kahane from the Oxford Center for Neuroethics told the Guardian "Science has ignored the question of moral improvement so far, but it is now becoming a big debate. There is already a growing body of research you can describe in these terms. Studies show that certain drugs affect the ways people respond to moral dilemmas by increasing their sense of empathy, group affiliation and by reducing aggression."

We already have drugs like Prozac and Oxytocin enhancing our feelings of empathy, happiness, and love. Now, scientists are researching drugs like this as a solution to criminal behavior. Ruud ter Meulen, chair in ethics in medicine and director of the centre for ethics in medicine at the University of Bristo said that "These drugs will be more effective in prevention and cure than prison."

However he also warned that these same drugs could have the exact opposite effect in other people (now where have I heard this before?) Apparently drugs like Oxytocin increase the bond people feel for those within their social groups while decreasing kindness for those outside of their social groups.

Hopefully this kind of thing is a long way into the future.

Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/apr/04/morality-drugs-improve-ethical-behaviour

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_medicines_and_drugs