The above painting is entitled ‘an experiment on a bird in the air pump’. It was done by Joseph Wright of Derby during the Enlightment Age. Nowadays, it can be seen at London’s National Gallery.

I chose this painting because I think it perfectly illustrates the central role science has always played throughout the years. Thus, the scientist appears at the centre and the rest is paying attention to him as a sign of admiration. It also shows the controversy that scientific research tends to stir up. In this particular case, there’s a clear controversial issue: vivisection.
All too often we hear passionate defenders of animals’ rights against particular scientific practice on the grounds that living creatures are undergoing extreme suffering. But, it seems this unethical practice is not going to restrain science’s abuse of vivisection.
I have a strong opinion about this issue which I’d like to share with you all. Without doubt, scientific research focused on animals has brought great benefits to the field of medicine. A good example of this fact is the enormous number of vaccines that scientists have been able to discover. If the studies that have given rise to the several vaccines hadn’t undergone rigorous tests on animals, we wouldn’t have had the chance to prevent illnesses such as hepatitis or meningitis. To my mind, the use of animals in scientific research is acceptable and justified if it can contribute to discovering the cures of life-threatening illnesses or if it can provide insights into obscure diseases.
The trouble is that vivisection is being abused. Just consider the number of cosmetic companies that invest millions of dollars on scientific research to test the quality of new products. I firmly believe that the use of animals in such circumstances is absolutely irrational. Indeed, it’s just not fair to cause animals’ suffering so that we can look a bit more beautiful.
To sum up, I do think that the use of animals for scientific research is agreeable if it’s the way to open the door to medical advances. But, this practice should be regulated so that the suffering of animals for unjustified reasons is avoided altogether.