Canada edges closer to legalising assisted suicide
The issue of euthanasia in Canada is no longer simmering on a back burner. After the Supreme Court of British Columbia found that Criminal Code...
UK ethics group backs “three-parent” embryos
A leading UK ethics group has backed the creation of "three-parent" IVF babies to battle rare genetic diseases. The London-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics could...
BMJ backs “neutrality” on assisted dying
The British Medical Journal has declared that the legalisation of assisted dying is inevitable and that British doctors should move from opposition to neutrality.The British...
Peter Singer given Australia’s highest honour
The controversial bioethicist Peter Singer has received Australia’s highest civil honour. He has been made a Companion of the Order of Australia “for eminent service...
European crisis boosts illegal trade in body parts
The financial crisis in Europe has sparked an increase in the trade of human body parts, as families and individuals scramble to put food on...
New Jersey surrogacy bill could allow paid surrogate “carriers”
The landmark Baby M case -- a messy affair in which a surrogate refused to give away her parental rights to the child she carried...
Children with 3 parents could become a reality
Children with three genetic parents could become reality in the UK. If you are unable to see the YouTube video, please click here. Children with...
“Human barcode” could organise society, erode privacy and civil liberties
Science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon has rekindled the debate over whether it's a good idea to "barcode" infants at birth. Science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon...
Waving farewell to Ray Bradbury
Hi there, I'd like to take a break from frivolous stuff about organ transplants and IVF and clinical trials. Ray Bradbury has died and it's...
Work for unemployed bioethicists?
If we haven't managed to sort out standards for bioethics yet, what chance is there for creating a widely-accepted non-controversial robot ethics? If you cannot...
Swiss canton to vote on assisted suicide on June 17
The Swiss canton of Vaud will hold a referendum on June 17 to decide whether nursing homes and hospitals must accept assisted suicide on their...
Highly accurate non-invasive pre-natal test available “within 5 years”
Scientists are moving closer to a reliable, non-invasive pre-natal test for genetic disorders. In a study in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Jay Shendure, of...