What the US needs is more voluntary sterilization for women
Voluntary sterilization has been legal since 1974 in the United States for women over 21. Why, then, is it so difficult for them to find...
Feeding the media beast
How should bioethicists engage with media? Gingerly, says Dr Syd Johnson, of Michigan Technological University, in an essay on the Impact Ethics blog. How should...
Two sceptical prophets
Hi there, By one of those strange quirks of fate, John F. Kennedy, Aldous Huxley, and C.S. Lewis and all died on November 22, 1963...
Bioethics anniversaries: Doctor Who
In a week in which the US mourns the 50th anniversary of the death of John F. Kennedy, Dr Who fans are celebrating the 50th...
Lessons from Of Human Bondage
Hi there, The British novelist and playwright Somerset Maugham (1874-1965) never seems to fade completely. His 1925 novel The Painted Veil was made into a...
When it comes to their colleagues’ mistakes, doctors keep mum
Mandatory reporting over issues like death or injury due to defective manufactured goods or over suspected child abuse is common nowadays. How about doctor error?...
Down Under palliative care specialists reject euthanasia
Palliative care is undermined by euthanasia and assisted suicide, according to many palliative care organisations. In Australia, where end-of-life issues are hotly debated, the peak...
Judges should enrol in Neuroscience 101, says US bioethicist
The debate over neuroscience in the courtroom continues. The latest word the discussion comes from Nita Farahany - a member of the Presidential Commission for...
What if we had a pill for the madness of love?
Should we take pills to rid ourselves of helpless passions?“He did not care if she was heartless, vicious and vulgar, stupid and grasping, he loved...
It’s more expensive, unnecessary and unhealthier: so why do IVF clinics prefer ICSI?
Despite complaints from experts, more and more IVF clinics are using intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Despite complaints from experts, more and more IVF clinics are...
Should prisoners be allowed to donate organs?
Some American politicians have discovered how to reconcile punishment and compassion: allow prisoners on death row to donate their organs. Some American politicians have discovered...
Are hasty decisions really autonomous?
A spirited debate arose in the US last week over the withdrawal of life support from a recently paralysed hunter. A spirited debate arose in...