Why does it always go terribly wrong?
Hi there, I must confess that I have a weakness for B-grade science fiction movies, so I am looking forward to Rise of the Planet...
Killer was fan of transhumanism and reprogenetics
In the wake of the murderous spree by Norwegian right-winger Anders Behring Breivik, bloggers and columnists have been trawling through his 1500-page rant about how...
Classic literature about talking animals
This week’s newsletter is dominated by articles loosely related to transhumanism, the philosophy that humanity needs to take its evolution into its own hands. In...
UK’s fertility secrets
Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act the UK government appears to have a firm hand on the tiller of fertility treatment and embryo research....
Approach Frankenstein experiments gingerly, says UK report
Mixing human and animal material should be approached with great caution, says the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in a report issued yesterday. But it...
Transhumanist sets goalposts for the future
American political science commentator Francis Fukuyama once called transhumanism the world’s most dangerous idea. Whether this is true depends on your aspirations for society. But...
Harvard morality expert resigns
Harvard neuroscientist Marc D. Hauser, a popular teacher and writer, will resign on August 1. Nearly a year ago an internal investigation found him guilty...
The Fleet Street Spring
Hi there, Editing BioEdge is a very specialised form of journalism, to be sure, but journalism. So, like everyone else in the business, I have...
CIA faked vaccination drive to catch bin Laden
Public health officials are furious after learning that the CIA used a fake vaccination drive to seek out Osama bin Laden. The Guardian reported this...
Australian stem cell regulations given OK
Australian stem cell researchers can press on with destructive research on human embryos, says a government review committee. Australian stem cell researchers can press...
Italy moves towards ban on euthanasia
Italy’s lower house has passed a controversial end-of-life bill which makes it illegal to withdraw hydration and nutrition from comatose patients in most cases. Italy’s...
Does neuroethics have a future?
What is the half-life of ethical specialties? Following recent speculation about the future of bioethics, it seems to be getting shorter. What is the half-life...