Bioethics Forum Essay
Sex Is Good
But not always. And that’s kind of the point. OK, let me back up. Like that bad-for-you ex from whom you just can’t seem to make a clean break, the...Bioethics Forum Essay
Womb Gay
Reading an excerpt from the new book Sex and War has got me thinking about the Mormons and California’s Prop 8. Sex and War features a meditation on how biology...Bioethics Forum Essay
Of Kinks, Crimes, and Kinds: The Paraphilias Proposal for the DSM-5
When is a kinky interest really sick? That’s the central question the Paraphilias Sub-Work Group of the American Psychiatric Association has had to face as they’ve developed proposed revisions for...Read “Of Kinks, Crimes, and Kinds: The Paraphilias Proposal for the DSM-5”
Bioethics Forum Essay
New Hope for Detecting Consciousness in Vegetative Patients: Ethical Implications
Patients diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state have figured prominently in the law and medical ethics relating to end-of-life decisions since the case of Karen Quinlan in 1976....Read “New Hope for Detecting Consciousness in Vegetative Patients: Ethical Implications”
Bioethics Forum Essay
On Living to 100 or More
Sometime around my mid-50’s I began to ask myself a question: how long should I want to live? My father had died at 64, my mother at 85, my various...Bioethics Forum Essay
Continuing the Dialogue on Bioethics and Populism
Franklin Miller’s recent post in Bioethics Forum responded to our essay, “Bioethics and Populism: How Should Our Field Respond?” in the current issue of the Hastings Center Report. There, we suggested...Hastings Center News
Hastings Center Organizes Symposium for International Journalism Conference: Ethical Debates on New Genetic Technologies
The Hastings Center is working with the World Conference of Science Journalists to organize a pre-conference symposium, “New Genetic Technologies: Ethical Debates and Global Science Policy.” The 10th World Conference...Bioethics Forum Essay
Gene Editing, “Cultural Harms,” and Oversight Mechanisms
Is it reasonable to hope that concerns about “cultural harms” can be integrated into oversight mechanisms for technologies like gene editing? That question was raised anew for me by the...Read “Gene Editing, “Cultural Harms,” and Oversight Mechanisms”
Hastings Center News
Hastings President Addresses National Conference on the Wise Use of Emerging Technologies
Hastings Center president Mildred Solomon delivered a keynote address at the Future of Medicine conference, a national health care conference celebrating the convergence of technology, bioethics, population health, and preventive...Read “Hastings President Addresses National Conference on the Wise Use of Emerging Technologies”
Bioethics Forum Essay
The Value of Bioethics Against Authoritarian Populism
Populism has been influencing public discourse and election outcomes in several countries recently. The degree to which populism has a sway on elections varies with the electoral system in each...Read “The Value of Bioethics Against Authoritarian Populism”
Bioethics Forum Essay
The Climate Agreement: Understanding, and Leveraging, Public Opinion
After years of fluctuating and troubled efforts, the nations of the world in December of 2015 came to the remarkable agreement to work together to reduce global warming. On June...Read “The Climate Agreement: Understanding, and Leveraging, Public Opinion”
Bioethics Forum Essay
This Doctor Experimented on Slaves: It’s Time to Remove or Redo His Statue
“There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it,” Mayor Mitch Landrieu declared to explain the removal of four Confederate monuments in New Orleans in May. The...Read “This Doctor Experimented on Slaves: It’s Time to Remove or Redo His Statue”
Bioethics Forum Essay
What’s Truly Outrageous About Intersex?
On August 5, the World News Daily Report published an article that has been circulating on my Facebook newsfeed every day since: “Hermaphrodite Impregnates Self, Gives Birth to Hermaphrodite Twins.”...Bioethics Forum Essay
On Sims’s Legacy: Work for Bioethics
My colleague Susan Reverby surely got this right: It is time to consider anew what to do about Dr. J. Marion Sims, that is, what to do about the New...Hastings Center News
International Conference Co-Organized by Hastings Examines the Ethics of Gene Editing
Following recent advances in gene editing technologies, including the first recorded use of CRISPR/Cas9 in human embryos in the United States, The Hastings Center cosponsored an international conference, “Genome Editing:...Read “International Conference Co-Organized by Hastings Examines the Ethics of Gene Editing”
Hastings Center News
Responsible Science in a Perilous Time: Hastings and Union of Concerned Scientists Join Forces
Climate change, nuclear proliferation, and the advancement of gene editing and other transformative biotechnologies pose enormous global challenges. How can we promote responsible science, good governance, and opportunities for public...Hastings Center News
Hastings Center Scholar Addresses Implications of CDC Avoiding Seven Words
Vulnerable. Entitlement. Diversity. Transgender. Fetus. Evidence-based. Science-based. Last week, news outlets reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had been advised to avoid using these seven words in...Read “Hastings Center Scholar Addresses Implications of CDC Avoiding Seven Words”
Bioethics Forum Essay
A New Mind-Body Problem
Not since Rene Descartes gazed from his garret window in early 17th-century Paris and wondered whether those were men or hats and coats covering “automatic machines” he saw roaming the...Hastings Center News
Hastings Scholar on Public Radio’s “Science Friday”: “Frankenstein” at 200
Frankenstein, published 200 years ago this month, asked what it means to be human. In the age of CRISPR and artificial intelligence, that question endures. On Public Radio International’s “Science...Read “Hastings Scholar on Public Radio’s “Science Friday”: “Frankenstein” at 200”
Hastings Center News
Looking for the Psychosocial Effects of Genomic Test Results
For the last quarter century, researchers have been asking whether genetic test results might have negative psychosocial effects. Anxiety, depression, disrupted relationships, and heightened stigmatization have all been posited as...Read “Looking for the Psychosocial Effects of Genomic Test Results”
Hastings Center News
Should We Pursue Genetic Cognitive Enhancement?
That was one of the many questions explored at a public event at the New York Academy of Sciences on May 21, cosponsored by The Hastings Center, the Aspen Brain...Hastings Center News
Documentary Series Premiere on Genetic Medicine Features Hastings Scholars
Hastings Center president Mildred Z. Solomon and director of research Josephine Johnston were featured speakers at the premiere screening of The Code, a series of three documentaries on the origins...Read “Documentary Series Premiere on Genetic Medicine Features Hastings Scholars”
Hastings Center News
New Hastings Center Project: Public Deliberation for a Democracy in Crisis
Technologies are transforming the planet and its inhabitants, human and nonhuman, calling out for assessment and wise decision-making. Yet trust in science is eroding and polarization deeply threatens our ability...Read “New Hastings Center Project: Public Deliberation for a Democracy in Crisis”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Addressing Questions About DTC Genetic Tests and Privacy
The process is fairly simple. You select one of the companies that offer direct-to-consumer genetic tests; pay online; receive a neatly packed kit that contains a tube designed to collect...Read “Addressing Questions About DTC Genetic Tests and Privacy”
Hastings Center News
World Science Festival Features Hastings Scholars on Gene Editing
Where do we draw the line between safe and dangerous applications of CRISPR, the gene editing technology that allows us to make permanent, even heritable, changes to the genetic code?...Read “World Science Festival Features Hastings Scholars on Gene Editing”
Bioethics Forum Essay
The Only PhD Scientist in Congress Speaks About Truth, Politics, and Human Flourishing
At a time when facts are distorted, disregarded, and ignored in policy making and political discourse, the need in Washington for seekers and defenders of truth has perhaps never been...Read “The Only PhD Scientist in Congress Speaks About Truth, Politics, and Human Flourishing”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Do You Want the Police Snooping in Your DNA?
In late April, a suspect thought to be the Golden State Killer, a man who had eluded police for decades after committing a string of murders and rapes in Northern...Hastings Center News
Should Gene-Edited Mice Be Released to Control Lyme Disease?
Hastings Center research scholar Carolyn P. Neuhaus participated in a panel discussion on Martha’s Vineyard on July 12 to discuss a proposal to release genetically modified mice to curb the...Read “Should Gene-Edited Mice Be Released to Control Lyme Disease?”
Hastings Center News
The Gift and Weight of Genomic Knowledge
With the popularity of direct-to-consumer genetic testing, genomic knowledge is assuming a growing role in shaping human life. On the one hand, this knowledge is a gift, offering insights into...Bioethics Forum Essay
Wrongful Death Suits for Frozen Embryos: A Bad Idea
Last March, 4,000 frozen eggs and embryos were lost at University Hospitals Fertility Center in Cleveland when the temperature in cryogenic tanks spiked due to human error. Officials at University...Hastings Center News
What Can Frankenstein Teach Us About Living in the Genetics Age?
Join us to mark the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein with a panel discussion that will explore the novel from the perspectives of bioethics, literary criticism, and science...Read “What Can Frankenstein Teach Us About Living in the Genetics Age?”
Hastings Center News
New Project: Public Deliberation on Gene Editing in the Wild
With funding from the National Science Foundation, a new Hastings Center project will examine the rationale and challenges of public deliberation on the release of genetically modified insects, mammals, and...Read “New Project: Public Deliberation on Gene Editing in the Wild”
Hastings Center News
The Hastings Center Celebrates Outstanding Journalists
Three journalists received The Hastings Center Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Ethics and Reprogenetics. The awards were presented at an event in New York City on December 6 that...Read “The Hastings Center Celebrates Outstanding Journalists”
Bioethics Forum Essay
He Jiankui’s Genetic Misadventure: Why Him? Why China?
The birth of gene-edited twin girls was announced by a young Chinese scientist He Jiankui through one of four self-made promotional videos in English on YouTube (a website officially banned...Read “He Jiankui’s Genetic Misadventure: Why Him? Why China?”
Hastings Center News
Hastings President Addresses the Question: Is Ethical AI an Oxymoron?
As artificial intelligence transforms health care, what should be done to assure that it brings about improvements and greater equity? To address those questions, Hastings Center President Mildred Solomon joined a panel at the Aspen Ideas: Health Festival called “Ethical Artificial Intelligence: Oxymoron or Possibility?”Read “Hastings President Addresses the Question: Is Ethical AI an Oxymoron?”
Hastings Center News
Daniel Callahan, 1930-2019
Bioethics Forum Essay
Citizen Science: Potential Benefits and Ethical Challenges
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Hastings Center News
Hastings Center Scholars Respond to Prison Sentence of Researcher Who Created First Gene-Edited Babies
The Compassionate Use Advisory Committee, headed by Hastings Center Fellow Arthur Caplan, of NYU Langone, received the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration’s Innovation Award. The committee was recognized for transforming how expanded access requests, also known as compassionate use requests, are granted by drug developers.Bioethics Forum Essay
Chinese Bioethicists: He Jiankui’s Crime is More than Illegal Medical Practice
Professionals and the public in China first learned of the jail sentence of He Jiankui from the report of Xinhua News Agency. No information, including any interpretation, was provided by the Court. But the reported words of the sentence are so ambiguous as to leave room for different interpretations. We believe that the public has the right to know more than Xinhua News Agency reported.Read “Chinese Bioethicists: He Jiankui’s Crime is More than Illegal Medical Practice”
Hastings Center News
Expert in Artificial Intelligence Named Hastings Center Senior Advisor
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Hastings Center News
Could Genetic Testing for Educational Attainment Cause Harm? Hastings Researcher Begins First-Ever Study to Find Out
Hastings Center postdoctoral researcher Lucas J. Matthews is undertaking the first-ever study to examine the potential harms of telling students about their genetic propensity for educational attainment.Bioethics Forum Essay
Globalized Science in a Deglobalizing World
The arrest of Harvard chemist and nanobiologist Charles Lieber on charges of lying about his research funding from China encapsulates two phenomena currently in tension: the global nature of modern science and attempts to nationalize the fruits of science.Bioethics Forum Essay
Before We Turn to Digital Contact Tracing for Covid, Remember Surveillance in the Sixties
Is it unrealistic to believe that phone apps for digital Covid contact tracing can be designed and regulated in ways that prevent the information they collect from being misused? It's worth remembering surveillance of Vietnam War protesters and Martin Luther King Jr.Read “Before We Turn to Digital Contact Tracing for Covid, Remember Surveillance in the Sixties”
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Public Trust in Science
HASTINGS CONVERSATIONS: A SERIES Dr. Anthony Fauci explored the ethical issues raised by the erosion of trust in science in a new virtual discussion hosted by The Hastings Center. The...Hastings Center News
Protecting Communities from Covid-19
FOUR STEPS TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM COVID-19 AND RESTORE THE ECONOMY The Hastings Center, the oldest independent, nonpartisan research institute in the world focused on social and ethical issues in...Bioethics Forum Essay
Motivated Ignorance: A Challenge for Science Communication and Democracy
Many people are deeply interested in the political process and awash in relevant information., but nevertheless often grossly misinformed, holding confident but unfounded opinions at odds with widely accessible evidence The recent riot at Capitol Hill is just one illustration–albeit a horrifying one–of such misinformation and its potential consequences. The anti-vaccine movement is another example.Read “Motivated Ignorance: A Challenge for Science Communication and Democracy”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Science in the Biden White House: Eric Lander, Alondra Nelson, and the Legacy of Lewis Thomas
Science has replaced populism in the White House. For the first time, the president's science advisor will be elevated to cabinet rank. There are other good omens, as well.Read “Science in the Biden White House: Eric Lander, Alondra Nelson, and the Legacy of Lewis Thomas”
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Advancing Social Justice, Health Equity, and Community
TRANSCRIPT: February 9, 2021 Hello, good afternoon. If you’re on the East Coast and welcome to the annual Daniel Callahan lecture, advancing social justice, health, equity and Community. We are...Read “Advancing Social Justice, Health Equity, and Community”
Hastings Center News
Omenn and Darling Gift to Bolster Trust in Scientific Innovation
Preeminent science researcher and science policy expert Gilbert S. Omenn, MD, PhD., and national nonprofit leader Martha A. Darling have made a major gift supporting “trusted and trustworthy scientific innovation”...Read “Omenn and Darling Gift to Bolster Trust in Scientific Innovation”
Hastings Center News
Call for Nominations: 2021 David Roscoe Award for an Early-Career Scholar’s Essay on Science, Ethics, and Society
Artificial intelligence, Crispr gene editing, and other powerful new technologies have profound implications for society. They will likely bring both potential benefits and safety concerns and have other ethical and...Page
Should the FDA Have Approved the New Alzheimer’s Drug?
Should Patients Take It? Monday, July 12, 2021 The Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval of a new Alzheimer’s drug has created a firestorm of praise and outrage. Dissenters include...Read “Should the FDA Have Approved the New Alzheimer’s Drug?”
Hastings Center News
Climate Change Ethics Explained in New Primer
A new primer that frames the moral and policy issues around climate change calls it unlike any problem that humanity has ever faced. “No issue demands greater care in balancing...