New Hampshire eugenics
Hi there, I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry over remarks made by a doddering member of New Hampshire’s lower house. Martin Harty told...
Who is a real bioethicist?
Should you have recognised credentials to practice as a clinical bioethicist? Should you have recognised credentials to practice as a clinical bioethicist? According to an...
New film explores cognitive enhancers
A controversial topic in some bioethical circles is the possibility of enhanced cognition – making yourself smarter with drugs. What would happen if you could...
Rwandan woman being fed again
A Rwandan woman in a permanent vegetative state whose feeding tube had been removed against her family’s wishes is being fed again. A Rwandan woman...
Tangled tale of surrogacy in Nepal
From Nepal comes a family dispute which highlights the complexity of surrogacy. Mrs Sambhavi Rana has appealed to Nepal’s Supreme Court to stop her husband,...
What was Hwang Woo-suk doing in Libya?
Hwang Woo-suk, recently fled Libya. But what was he doing there anyway? His presence suggests that Libya is (or was) trying to develop expertise in...
Minnesota’s internet suicide nurse found guilty
A 48-year-old Minnesota nurse has been found guilty of inciting two people to suicide over the internet. William Melchert-Dinkel used internet chat rooms to seek...
New Hampshire’s eugenics legislator resigns
Strom Thurmond celebrated his 100th birthday as a serving senator from the state of South Carolina. But it’s not necessarily a great idea to keep...
Does the Indian Surpreme Court need better bioethics advice?
Hi there, Bioethical developments in India are not widely reported elsewhere. But the case of Aruna Shanbaug, which was decided by India’s Supreme Court this...
UK doctors consistently oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide
A review of research carried out over 20 years suggests that UK doctors appear to consistently oppose euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS). The findings --...
Third of UK doctors fear payback if they report colleagues
Some disturbing findings have emerged from a survey of the professionalism of US and UK doctors. According to the journal BMJ Quality and Safety nearly...
UK gears up for three-parent embryos
There’s still life in the UK’s fertility watchdog, even if the present government plans to scrap it. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has...