Beckett's Experiments (SGA Season 2 Spoiler

[second.prime]

OK people I thought it was about time I expressed my concern for what Carson is getting up to with his Wraith experiments. The whole retrovirus that can turn Wraith into "humans" is a little disturbing, and can't be justified by a medical Dr. Even with the defence "we are at war" its pretty morally and ethically bankrupt, and akin to the sort of abhorrent experimentation that was performed during WW2. Even his ATA gene therapy is a little dodgy to me, but at least people get to consent to that.

I admit its an interesting storyline and I'll watch to see what goes wrong, but I'm sure it'll leave me with an icky feeling that we shouldn't be doing this to the Wraith, even if they are the Wraith!!

What do you think?

[Qasim]

I think their the wraith

[Eoin]

I think their the wraith

LMAO

Well you'll have to see it form the atlantis team's point of view, there at war with a race that is far more powerful than them...so they must resort to extreme measures to protect the atlantis team and keep earth safe

[starathena74]

I think their the wraith

i think we need to go into the story on how the wraith came about and how we can fight them

[Nutty_One111]

OK people I thought it was about time I expressed my concern for what Carson is getting up to with his Wraith experiments. The whole retrovirus that can turn Wraith into "humans" is a little disturbing, and can't be justified by a medical Dr. Even with the defence "we are at war" its pretty morally and ethically bankrupt, and akin to the sort of abhorrent experimentation that was performed during WW2. Even his ATA gene therapy is a little dodgy to me, but at least people get to consent to that.

I admit its an interesting storyline and I'll watch to see what goes wrong, but I'm sure it'll leave me with an icky feeling that we shouldn't be doing this to the Wraith, even if they are the Wraith!!

What do you think?

Im not really sure where i stand on the matter actually...i do agree that Beckett's experiments are a 'little disturbing' even if they are being performed on a wraith, and I am curious to see what the consequences will be in the second half of this season.

I also agree that the "we are at war" argument cannot be used to justify such experiments, but i can also see the logic in their attempts at making a vaccine which would effectively turn a wraith into a human. - but as you said the wraith would probably not consent to being a guinepig(sp?), to me thats where the problem is as the wraith are just another species trying to survive...humans just happen to be their favorite food. :s

Atlantis is "at war" with the wraith and either way there are going to be deaths on both sides so maybe using a vaccine (if it worked properly and without any side affects - again unlikely) then maybe it would be a more humane way of dealing with them...rather than just eliminating them altogether...but again as they are unlikely to consent i would still have a problem with this....

In reality however if an alien race was intent on using the whole of earths population as their food source im pretty sure that everyone on earth would be doing whatever it took to find a way of preventing it...including killing them...making vaccines ect...to use against them..so im really not sure what i think on the matter but its definatly an interesting question.

I dont have a problem with the ATA gene therapy bit as anyone who wants it effectively gives their consent....and they obviously accept any risks and are willing to take them.

[NakedJehutyV2]

yes war throws all morality out the window. humans love to kill end of story they're just finding new ways of it

[jash]

what ever happened to the vaccine that posioned the waith when they tried to feed on someone. i don't remember why they stopped using it?

[KairezLightkeeper]

Ah, yes... I'm kinda with Ronon and the point he made in “Instinct” on this one. They can teach them manners, alter their appearance and even, with this retrovirus, their DNA, but in the end, a Wraith will still be a Wraith.

Yeah, the medical-ethics-out-the-window thing is kinda weird (which is strange because of the big issue it had in “Poisoning the Well”)... I find it odd that even Dr. Elizabeth Weir concents with this kind of experimentation in the first place! Are we really that desperate?

Might be off-topic, but ever since I heard this quote, I've been itching to use it, and this seems like the right place.

“I get it. Food is food, and to you, people is food. Look, I've gotten plenty of dirty looks from vegetarians while scarfing down a burger. I feel ya'. So you guys need to eat people, it's not like you've got a choice.” — Yusuke Urameshi, Yu Yu Hakusho, "Departing Living World"

what ever happened to the vaccine that posioned the waith when they tried to feed on someone. i don't remember why they stopped using it?

I guess the retrovirus is better in their eyes than that vaccine... In their views, poisoning the Wraith isn't acceptable, but turning them human is okay. That, and the vaccine seemed to have a 50% chance of killing the human it was given to... The percentage may be wrong, but the idea is about right.

[NotAscended]

Ah, yes... I'm kinda with Ronon and the point he made in “Instinct” on this one. They can teach them manners, alter their appearance and even, with this retrovirus, their DNA, but in the end, a Wraith will still be a Wraith.

Yeah, the medical-ethics-out-the-window thing is kinda weird (which is strange because of the big issue it had in “Poisoning the Well”)... I find it odd that even Dr. Elizabeth Weir concents with this kind of experimentation in the first place! Are we really that desperate?

I agree about the fact that ethics of experimenting on sentient beings seems to have been forgotten in Carson's experimentation. However, I think they seem to be running with the bug analogy and going with more of an agricultural pest approach. If you can't make the bug stop feeding on the crop you consider important (in this case, humans), you try to find a way to make the bug want to eat something else by changing its genetic makeup. People have been trying to do this with various agricultural pests and insects that carry disease. Maybe Carson has a background in pest control.

[Steve_the_Wraith]

Maybe in some twisted way Beckett believes that he's helping the wraith - that deep down they they don't really want to eat humans and once he "cures" them they'll thank him

Beckett "I'lll cure you make you human don't you want that"
Josh the Wraith "No, I'm just evil"

[Ascended Times.2]

Beckett "I'lll cure you make you human don't you want that"
Josh the Wraith "No, I'm just evil"

LOL That's hilarious, although there has been alot of debate over that, the Wraith position if their really just evil, I belive when theycreate runners, THEN their evil...But back on topic, Becckett!

I recon the whole ethic thing in this show has FINALLY!! Been tossed out the window. I have to say, after nine years of SG-1 with their "ETHICS!" i'm glad someones saying "Hey, how about genocide on a civilisation level?" And everyones agreeing...Seems a litte Aschen-ish to me...

[Steve_the_Wraith]

Its not exactly a question of evil its more like

Beckett "How about I 'cure' you and take away your super strength, super speed, telepathy, immortality and all your other superpowers"
Josh the Wraith "How about no"

From a wraith point of view its like if vegetables rebelled, genetically reenginereed us so we didn't need to eat them anymore and the only draw back is our life expectancy is cut to 10-15 years, and we have vastly reduced strength

[Ascended Times.2]

If I were the human I would pull out my biggest and baddest gun...Now, I can't figure out ofr the life of me why the Wraith havan't either...or maybe they have?

[leaper]

Quoting only relevent passage:
I guess the retrovirus is better in their eyes than that vaccine... In their views, poisoning the Wraith isn't acceptable, but turning them human is okay. That, and the vaccine seemed to have a 50% chance of killing the human it was given to... The percentage may be wrong, but the idea is about right.

which kinda makes US (as humans) kind of arrogant, doesn't it. Assuming that any given species would prefer to be human? Maybe they would rather not exist...*Edit* or be bugs

[Dr Weir]

OK people I thought it was about time I expressed my concern for what Carson is getting up to with his Wraith experiments. The whole retrovirus that can turn Wraith into "humans" is a little disturbing, and can't be justified by a medical Dr. Even with the defence "we are at war" its pretty morally and ethically bankrupt, and akin to the sort of abhorrent experimentation that was performed during WW2. Even his ATA gene therapy is a little dodgy to me, but at least people get to consent to that.

I admit its an interesting storyline and I'll watch to see what goes wrong, but I'm sure it'll leave me with an icky feeling that we shouldn't be doing this to the Wraith, even if they are the Wraith!!

What do you think?

First of all what Beckitt is trying to do can not be compared to experiments done on innocent Jews during the holocaust. Second, the wraith eat ppl, they deserve it. It's evil whether they have to feed on humans or not. Thye obviously see themsleves as being more important than humans and so use this to justifly what they do (from journal that was on the scifi site) but who cares what they think, they are not more important and have no right to take ppl's lives. Plus there's runners etc which adds to it. If SGA doesn't come up with a drug like that to help, they must find an alternative, otherwise they might as well go back home and leave the rest of the PG at the wraith's mercy or sit around waiting to be wraithed themselves.