Brains in a dish pose ethical problems
But not all scientists agree A recent feature in Nature opens with the following sentence: “In Alysson Muotri’s laboratory, hundreds of miniature human brains, the...
Japan’s new PM promotes IVF to boost birth rate
Japan's biggest long-term problems are a low birth rate and a shrinking population. Incoming Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has pledged to provide insurance coverage for...
Artificial reproduction may require redefinition of parenthood
Who should be deemed a parent? Developments in assisted reproduction could muddle the definition of parenthood, says an Australian academic in a recent issue of...
Poland and abortion
Hi there, Poland has become one of the few countries where abortion is being rolled back. Its high court has ruled that nearly all terminations...
Poland’s high court effectively bans abortion
Court treats abortion as a kind of eugenicsProtesters against Court decision fill streets A ruling by Poland’s highest court has effectively banned most abortions in...
‘Medical aid in dying’ saves money: Canadian report
These savings should "in no way be interpreted" to suggest that assisted dying be used to reduce health-care costs. Since Canada’s law on euthanasia and...
IVF doctors up in arms over Trump’s SCOTUS pick
For the first time in its history, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine has opposed a Supreme Court nomineeMedical and science journals have become far...
Let’s return to the basics of human experience, says bioethicist
Human beings are not unconnected atomsIt’s not often that a bioethics text gets rave reviews from both Francis Fukuyama and Leon Kass. However, What It...
What factors can undermine our autonomy?
Addiction, brainwashing, trauma or fatigue, obviously. Any others? The argument for assisted suicide and euthanasia rests squarely on the doctrine of autonomy. As The Economist...
US: foetal abduction to end with a lethal injection
Lisa Montgomery to be the first woman executed in a federal prison in 67 years Lisa Montgomery Capital punishment is always a bioethical issue –...
The Netherlands moves to legalise euthanasia for children
It hardly comes as a surprise, but doctors in The Netherlands may soon be able to euthanise children under 12. They are already authorised to...
Spain edges closer to legalizing euthanasia
Bioethicists are critical Spain’s coalition government is attempting to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide. Its right-to-die bill includes an "express euthanasia" service, with doctors visiting...