Whose design will be used for designer brains?
Dr Paul Root Wolpe is the senior bioethicist at NASA and a pioneer in the field of neuroethics. Peering into his children’s and grandchildren’s future, he sees an America that rewards competitiveness and productivity over relationship-building, and suspects that future generations will face intense pressure to enhance their minds and bodies in unhealthy ways. If parents already use Ritalin to give kids a competitive edge, what will happen when we can genetically engineer their talents?
Michael Cook
enhancement
neuroethics
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Will brainwashing make a comeback?
Imagine this scenario: the American military captures a fanatical soldier of the Islamic State who has been responsible for the...
Predicting an embryo’s future with ‘polygenic risk scores’ is ‘unproven’ and ‘unethical’, say experts
“Advanced embryo genetic testing. Choose your healthiest embryo.” This is the slogan of Genomic Prediction, an American company which is...
China cracks down on cosmetic surgery to stop ‘appearance anxiety’
The Chinese government has been cracking down on conspicuous consumption and tall poppies in recent months. Billionaires have disappeared; movie...
Did human genome editor He Jiankui deserve to be disgraced?
Not necessarily, say bioethicists He Jiankui in his salad days When Chinese researcher He Jiankui announced in late 2018 that...
A cyborg future may come earlier than we think
Along with serious ethical issues Surpassing the biological limitations of the brain and using the mind to control electronic devices...
WHO gives in-principle endorsement to human genome editing
However, it needs strict regulation Two reports released this week by the World Health Organization (WHO) offer a pathway to...