A sceptical look at synthetic biology
It's already a multi-billion dollar industry which has immense social and environmental implications.Here's a sceptical look at a controversial subject: synthetic life (or synthetic biology)....
Radical measures to prevent the spread of Ebola in hospitals
At least three US hospital systems are currently considering whether they withhold certain treatments from Ebola patients. At least three US hospital systems are currently...
Mars Exploration Bioethics 101
Star Trek fans are familiar with ethical dilemmas in deep space. But for groups planning a Mars expedition, these are not hypothetical. All Star Trek...
Debate over history of US Christian bioethics
One of the puzzling features of bioethics is that its “founders” were nearly all Christians, but Christian bioethics has become a marginal interest. Why? One...
A more elegant solution
An elderly Belgian man and wife are preparing to be euthanized together. They explain why in a startling interview. An elderly Belgian man and wife...
What students think about conscientious objection
An revealing new study published in the Journal of Medical Ethics examines the attitudes of medical students towards conscientious objection. An revealing new study in the...
Dawkins disses Down syndrome babies
Dawkins is in hot water again after asserting on Twitter that it is “immoral” to allow Down Syndrome babies to be born. @InYourFaceNYer Abort it...
Are bioethicists tools of policy technocrats?
Although bioethicists are believed to provide fearless independent advice, challenging policy-makers to make the “right” decisions, a Swiss expert in bureaucracies contends that this is...
Corrupting the peer review process
Peer review is supposed to protect us against junk science. But what happens if the peer review is junk science? Peer review is supposed to...
Transforming ethics this summer
What a blockbuster teaches us about bioethics. Yes, in our on-going quest for cultural relevance, we have uncovered bioethics even in the summer blockbuster Transformers:...
Oldest Down syndrome skeleton found in France
Not stigmatised by community, say researchers. Earlier cultures may not have stigmatized people with Down syndrome as much as we do, archaeologists have suggested after...
Government responds to Canadian bioethicists’ complaint
The CIRH puts its point of view. Last week BioEdge reported that Canadian bioethicists were angry at the Harper Government’s refusal to appoint a strong...