Ever since James Watson set aside between 3% and 5% of his annual Human Genome Project budget 1 to promote the study of the ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding the sudden availability of genetic information, the field of American bioethics has gained a new momentum. While it was first associated with the development of the biomedical sciences, this newly remodeled field, commonly abbreviated as “ELSI,” has obtained the fame around the world and become a shibboleth for any science or technology project determined to earn public trust or at least to appease potential critics. By attaching an ELSI component to a science or technology project, researchers hope to have a hold over the ethical, legal, and social effects of the technology being developed (McCain 2002; National Human Genome Research Institute 2004).
