Peer review system stumbles over fake gender-studies papers
'The reviewers were amazingly encouraging, giving us very high marks in nearly every category'The field of gender studies is often criticised for its obscure and...
Euthanasia bills sink in Tasmania and Maine
Opposition to euthanasia is still strongWhile support appears to be growing for euthanasia in several countries, many legislatures that remain strongly opposed to proposal. Two...
Fighting the scourge of ‘red envelopes’ for China’s doctors
Is it corruption or a recognition of their dignity?In the Ming Dynasty (17th century), an eminent doctor, Chen Shigong, promulgated his Five Precepts and Ten Musts...
Are Chinese police collecting DNA for all Muslims in Xinjiang province?
A way to control dissidentsChina may be preparing to collect DNA profile of a large proportion – or even all – of the Muslim Uighur...
A feminist argument against artificial gametes
The technology is unethical because it supports the false belief that genetic links are essentialIn vitro gametogenesis (IVG)is one of the nightmares of conservative bioethicists....
Texas DA opposes parole for nurse killer of up to 60 infants
Genene Jones will probably spend life behind barsAs if anyone needed reminding that healthcare workers can use their skill to kill as well as heal,...
Dear Mr Trump, isn’t it about time to announce your bioethics commission?
The last bioethics advisory body ended in January 2017Last week, seven Democratic members of the US House Representatives sent a letter to the White House asking President Trump...
If there is a market, let’s legalise and regulate it
The Economist is the world’s best news magazine. Its stylish, intelligent and well-informed coverage has made it the Bible of the global elite. “I used...
The Economist backs surrogacy
But neglects an ethical analysisThe world’s most influential news magazine has given commercial surrogacy full-throated support. Under the headline “Carrying a child for someone else should...
Cheap, effective alternative to IVF may be possible
Flushing the fallopian tubes has been very successfulThe fertility industry could have a strong competitor after a cheap, simple, time-tested fertility remedy has been proved...
Moral enhancement won’t work, claim bioethicists
It could be a dangerous social experimentA recent study in the journal Bioethics finds that "moral enhancement technologies" are neither feasible nor wise, based on an assessment...
Should a depraved killer be allowed to commit suicide?
Ian Brady, the Moors murderer, died a natural death this weekhe late Ian Brady is so unpopular in his native Glasgow that the city council...