Ethics Inside and Outside the Physics Lab

Abstract

Most ethical issues that arise in the field of physics can also be found in other disciplines, yet by comparison to other fields such as the life sciences, much less has been written about ethical issues in physics. There are, however, a handful of well-documented and well-explored cases in physics that highlight important ethical issues. By exploring these cases, we can understand key issues that routinely confront physicists, albeit in much less dramatic ways than illustrated by these better known cases. This chapter will explore the Ninov and Schön cases, the N Ray affair, the “cold fusion” phenomenon, the role of physicists in weapons research, and underrepresented groups in physics. The impact of these events on professional codes within the physics community will be discussed.