Philosophy & Ethics

Genomic Liberty? No, You Don't 'Own' Your Genes

If 41 percent of the human genome is covered by longer DNA patents that often cover whole genes, and so many genes share similar sequences within their genetic structure that if all of the "short sequence" patents were allowed in aggregate they ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 26 2013 - 10:01am

The Power Grab Of Science Vs Critical Theory

Those who know the meaning of ‘third culture’, know that since the days when it was lamented that the members of the intellectual elite would not even know the second law of thermodynamics, the land grab of science has been astounding and is indeed an ongo ...

Article - Sascha Vongehr - Apr 17 2013 - 6:41am

Free Will Vs Free Choice

In watching a recent discussion about "free will", I was surprised as to how quickly the discussion got confused by conflating "free choice" with "free will". [Day 2, Afternoon, First Session:  Free Will/Consciousness] In this ...

Article - Gerhard Adam - Apr 26 2013 - 8:25pm

Identity Crisis: Authenticity Versus Suppression Of Cognitive Dissonance

As a researcher in the fields of exact science and philosophy, I am obsessed with “truth”, which is a label of approval we assign to concepts that we judge to be consistent in a certain sense (Example 1 below). How we do that is thus important for the prog ...

Article - Sascha Vongehr - Apr 30 2013 - 6:31am

Euthanasia: Slope For Newborns Not That Slippery Yet

The Groningen Protocol, introduced in Holland in 2005, was devised to create a standard for doctors who had families that wanted to end the suffering of sick newborns for humanitarian reasons. It outlined parameters to help identify situations in which eu ...

Article - Hank Campbell - May 3 2013 - 2:35pm

Can Pharmaceutical Advertising Regulate Itself?

In America, science is as polarized as politics. Corporate scientists, like at pharmaceutical companies, are criticized for working at unethical companies while academic scientists are criticized for 'chasing funding' rather than helping people. ...

Article - News Staff - May 2 2013 - 12:00pm

What’s The Point Of Demarcation Projects?

Readers of this blog know very well by now that, despite (or is it because of?) being both a scientist and a philosopher, I have often defended the idea that science and philosophy are distinct disciplines, and I am critical in particular of those who I th ...

Article - Massimo Pigliucci - May 4 2013 - 10:48am

Even Intelligent Design Requires Evolution

Intelligent Design is often presented as a view that runs counter to evolutionary theory.  Whether it be the concept of natural selection or ideas about speciation, Intelligent Design (ID) purports to reconcile the observed environment from the perspective ...

Article - Gerhard Adam - May 7 2013 - 1:48pm

Capitalism Kills Morality- And So Does Socialism, Say Economists

Do you support unions, a minimum wage, dislike business and hate child labor and then tell all of your friends on your iPhone? People rationalize moral standards when it comes to their own lives, say economists writing in Science. It's easy to lament ...

Article - News Staff - May 10 2013 - 1:32pm

The Evolved Doubly Social Society Should Be Selfish And Deadly

Social structure is an imposition, but by definition one that ‘should’ be imposed, meaning by the origin of the meaning of “should” in the co-evolution of the social with our language. ...

Article - Sascha Vongehr - May 26 2013 - 8:14am