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5 Public Engagement
Pages 91-96

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From page 91...
... or "dialogues of science, ethics and religion."2 The formats include, among others, focus groups, testimony at hearings, community advisory groups, and consultations. Goals include educating the public, informing the public about research studies, disseminating research findings, seeking advice, providing input for policy making, increasing research participation, establishing dialogue, and increasing trust.
From page 92...
... The committee notes that in the United States, regardless of public attitudes and values, there are other considerations in play in setting policy, including constitutional limitations on what government can do to abridge freedoms. Public engagement strategies must be based on the realization that many people base their reactions to biotechnological innovations, including human neural organoid, transplant, and chimera research, on core beliefs and values that commonly are grounded in their religious beliefs.
From page 93...
... Because of the plurality of religious and secular views in the United States concerning biotechnological innovations, respectful dialogues between religious and secular perspectives and among different viewpoints could help build mutual understanding. Even if individuals from different disciplines, communities, and faith traditions do not reach agreement on specific policies, it is useful for each group to feel that they have been listened to and understood by others.
From page 94...
... Instead, Jamieson suggested that a good term should induce the listener to want to learn more about the science.6 In this report, therefore, the committee uses the terms "neural organoid," "neural transplant," and "neural chimera" not only because they are scientifically accurate and widely used to denote these research models but also because they do not represent an attempt to lead the reader to a conclusion and are not connected to unrelated ethical debates. Likewise, the committee eschewed such terms as "mini-brain" because they are scientifically inaccurate and may also 6  Kathleen Hall Jamieson, University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, presentation to the committee, July 15, 2020, virtual meeting.
From page 95...
... The term "chimera" is used because it is scientifically accurate, and the committee believes that its connection with the monsters of ancient myths is too remote to warrant avoiding its use. Research scientists and their institutional representatives can be cautioned to avoid terminology that may court attention but does their work a disservice by stimulating concerns that go far beyond the current state of the science.


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