Tag: Bioethics
A promising new medical technique known as gene editing—deleting, inserting, or replacing genes in human cells—has the potential to cure many genetic diseases. But ethicist Marcy Darnovsky of the Center for Genetics and Society is concerned about the safety of the technology, the ethical questions it raises, the unintended consequences that may be passed on to future generations, and the possibility of wealthy parents genetically enhancing their children regardless of medical necessity. More
A neuroscientist and an ethicist ponder the subject of violence and how to prevent it: “It’s beyond a reasonable doubt now that there is this brain basis to crime,” says Professor Adrian Raine. But “we have to be very careful how we use this information,” warns Professor Paul Wolpe. More
“Our main goal is not to cause any harm or additional stress to families,” says Nancy Spinner, head of genomic diagnostics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. More
“Computers will match us in emotional intelligence, which includes our whole moral system,” says inventor and computer scientist Ray Kurzweil. More
Purposefulness and self-sacrifice in human life “can never be reduced to a machine,” according to this bioethicist. More
LUCKY SEVERSON, correspondent: A bittersweet moment for members of the Havasupai tribe, retrieving blood samples they gave to Arizona State University (ASU) 20 years ago. CARLETTA TILOUSI: We felt very strongly that blood samples are sacred to all Native … More
Is the promise of direct-to-consumer genetic testing being oversold? What ethical and public policy concerns does selling genetic tests directly to the public raise? More
It’s been one year since President Barack Obama lifted the Bush era’s eight-year ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. More
[MYPLAYLIST=9] KIM LAWTON, guest anchor: New religious and ethical debates this week after President Barack Obama cleared the way for federal tax dollars to fund expanded embryonic stem cell research. Obama said funding such research is morally necessary because of … More
TIM O’BRIEN, guest anchor: Animal research has long been controversial. The medical benefits can be significant, although not always, and opponents argue the benefits are often outweighed by the pain and suffering inflicted on the animal. In California, there’s been … More
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