Facial recognition banned in San Francisco
Invasion of privacy fears Facial recognition technology has been banned in San Francisco amid fears about the technology’s potential for oppressive surveillance. The action, which...
We need a ‘privacy bill of rights’, says psychiatrist
Loss of control over personal data can be ‘destabilising’ for some people Bioethics needs to promote privacy, not only of patients’ data but also in...
Let’s think about robot rights now
Robots could attain an animal level of consciousness Two of the most common pieces of bioethical advice are: The ethics always lags behind the science...
Is it ethical to have children as climate Armageddon approaches?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez opens up a discussion with her followers Big Stock Photo New York’s celebrity Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently told her 2.7 million followers on...
Should governments overrule parents who oppose transgender puberty-blockers? Yes, says bioethicist
Denying kids treatment could be a form of child abuse Parents should not be able to stop gender-dysphoric children from accessing puberty-blockers, a bioethicist argues...
Australian doctors in firing line in stoush over asylum-seekers
New law gives medicos a pivotal role Australian doctors have become an integral part of a bitter political battle over how to process asylum-seekers. At...
Indian man sues parents for giving birth to him
Voluntary childlessness movement at work There is a well-developed philosophical movement supporting voluntary childlessness. The most extreme exponent may be the South African ethicist David...
Peter Singer defends academic freedom
Speaks up in favour of controversial young Cambridge academic Utilitarian bioethicist Peter Singer is best-known as a defender of controversial issues like euthanasia, infanticide and...
Doctors, addicts and greed
Pennsylvania physicians caught up in health care fraud Here’s a cautionary tale from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Not all of bioethics is as subtle and Byzantine as...
Is solitary confinement ‘cruel and unusual’?
Social isolation can even lead to changes in brain structure About 80,000 Americans are incarcerated in solitary confinement on any given day, a practice that...
Merck & Co attacked after it pulls out of West African deal to supply rotavirus vaccine
Conflicting views on why Merck is selling to China but not to Africa Pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co is under fire for ending a six-year...
Walmart wants to know your heart rate and temperature
A patent for a biometric trolley raises questions About 324 million people live in the United States. About 140 million of them visit Walmart in...