Philosophy & Ethics

What Are The Ethics Of Research Using Human Fetal Tissue?

Based on the furor currently engulfing the US, you might imagine that the use of fetal tissue is illegal. But in fact the collection and use of cells obtained from a human fetus following miscarriage or abortion has a long history in medical science. ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 15 2015 - 11:54am

Australia Allows IVF To Choose Gender: Is That Sexism?

Australian guidelines for the ethical use of IVF allow selecting a child’s sex for medical reasons. But draft guidelines that are now open for public submissions raise the possibility of extending this and allowing the choice for social reasons. ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 24 2015 - 8:00am

Stem Cell Research Informed Consent: What To Know

Ongoing developments in stem cell science mean that researchers often have no idea how, one year down the line, they will use specimens of human biological material. But when a scientist takes a swab of your saliva, a sample of your blood or a piece of yo ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 27 2015 - 7:26pm

School Lunch: How To Teach Kids To Be Casual Criminals

There is a dark undercurrent to Indiana's school culture, according to a recent  statement, and it's created a secret smuggling web where young children acquire and trade illegal items. The good news: The illegal items aren't marijuana or h ...

Article - American Council ... - Aug 28 2015 - 11:51am

Teenage Sexting: Criminalize Abuse, Not Sexual Exploration

Now that so many teenagers have smartphones equipped with cameras it’s inevitable that they’re used to take pictures, sometimes regrettable pictures, and to share them with others. The problem is that this is not just often regrettable in their own eyes, ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 13 2015 - 8:33am

76 Percent Of Millennials Want To Know What’s In Their DNA

More than half (53 percent) of U.S. consumers want to know what’s in their DNA, according to a new survey, yet only 7 percent of respondents say that their doctor has discussed genetic screening with them. The nationwide survey, conducted by marketing res ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 3 2015 - 11:00am

How Will Anti-Science Activists Treat GMO Humans Of The Future?

In the 1970s, scientists used genetic modification to insert the gene for human insulin production into yeast and bacteria cells. They turned those cells into tiny insulin factories, meaning insulin no longer had to be created from animal pancreases, whic ...

Article - Nicholas Staropoli - Nov 2 2015 - 1:53pm

Canada Must Protect Physicians Who Don't Want To Participate In Assisted Death

Assisted dying may become legal in Canada on Feb. 6, 2016 and given that country's recent lurch to one side of the political spectrum, doctors are worried that a more social authoritarian government will penalize then if they have conscientious objec ...

Article - News Staff - Nov 23 2015 - 1:08pm

Evolution Is Intelligent: A Learning Theory Opinion On Fitness

Some biologists resist the idea of intelligence in evolution because they are in a culture war against religious opponents who believe descent with modification was guided by a higher being. By being forced to abandon terms in response to encroachment by ...

Article - News Staff - Dec 20 2015 - 1:08pm

What Makes A True Scientist?

Is a scientist someone who does science? It depends on who you ask, according to a presentation at the AAAS meeting in Washington, D.C.  A century ago, an occupation based on intelligence was regarded as a blue-collar endeavor. Sherlock Holmes was better ...

Article - News Staff - Feb 14 2016 - 12:18pm