Most experiments today usually aren't allowed to harm their test subjects. But what happens if it's completely fine to subject them to harm or inhumane conditions? What types of studies and experiments would you do if morale and the well-being of others weren't a factor?

#1

I'd want to see if a large groups of kids would develop a language if they were isolated from birth without ever being spoken to and there was nothing written in the area. I'd also be interested to know what accent they would have.
There would be different variations. While pregnant, the mothers would also be isolated in large groups. A control group would have to remain silent throughout the pregnancy, and the other groups would be organised by language and would talk to their babies while they are in the womb. Once the baby is born, no more talking.

Report

#2

I would take a group of around 10 people from every religion in existence, tell each of them that they chose the right religion, put them all on an island for around 20 years and come back to see what happened. Another on is I’d take a group of 10 vegans, and 10 non-vegans, put them on an island, and see what happens. I’d also see how many bones can be removed from the human body before the brain shuts down. One more is I’d take a group of communists and capitalists, tell them to act like the other group, and see if they figure it out. I’ve got more so keep an eye out for another submission from me.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#3

What I would do would probably be very unethical.

Firstly, I’d see exactly what chaos would ensue if a group of, say, ten children, five male and five female, would get up to if they had a complete absence of adult influence. The only living beings they could learn from would be eachother. I’d also study what would happen when they grew up, for example when puberty started kicking in - would they know what procreation was if they were never taught about it?

Secondly, (and this is probably the most unethical, don’t cancel me) I’d see exactly the effects of childhood. Like not just in a wide statistical way, but in a very specific, controlled environment, where a children’s parents in one case mistreat the child and stunt their creativity and stimulation etc, and then in another case the child is ridiculously spoiled, and then the cases are compared to what would be deemed as a ‘normal’ childhood.

Thirdly, if there was no ‘written’ things anywhere, only visual images, and no type of written language so no pictograms or anything, and no art on paper or anything, no paintings etc, would the child still develop art skills just from seeing things like nice little patterns and shapes in nature?

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ozacoter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that the answer to the third question is yes. Both neanderthals and sapiens developed art while living in a world without images or text.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#4

I would like to raise a group of kids in a fake society were nobody would be allowed to know the kids sex.


We influence our kids from the moment that we are born with our ideas about gender; its been proven that even if the parent/caregiver is not aware they treat girls and boys differently from birth, influencing how we grow up.

Then i would like to study those kids (and a control group) to see the differences in personality, tastes and brain structure. I am certain that the vast majority of these differences are taught not innate but we will probably never prove it at least until we get rid of gender stereotypes.

The brain is really plastic and depending on how you use it it develops differently. For example taxi drivers before gps used to have a extremely well developed hypocampus (for space memory) due to their job. I am convinced that if society didnt treat kids differently they would be on average all the same, with personality differences non dependant on sex.

Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#5

Genetic engineering and just generally playing God a lot more to see what's possible. A lot of medicines greatest findings where made when ethics and morals where absent.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
#6

Testing different ways to make saltwater drinkable. Someone would have to drink it tho and I'm pretty sure saltwater is pretty bad for you. Other types of dirty water would work too. If I could create some sort of thing that can 100% purify dirty and otherwise undrinkable water, it could help a lot of people. I know there are some things like this but I don't think they completely purify the water so I'd like to perfect it.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
Donkey boi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You know purified water is already a thing right? The most energy efficient way is currently reverse osmosis. If you were thinking of large mass scale (i.e. making the whole sea drinkable), the environmental impact would be devastating to the planet, that's the reason it hasn't been done.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#7

I would make what Dexter does legal.
They would need to submit their proves and researches that their targets fit with 'the code'.

Report

Add photo comments
POST
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda