Bioethics Forum Essay
Why College Students Use Cognitive Enhancers: It’s Not Only about Grades
As the school year winds down, it’s safe to assume that many college students used stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall to get through finals. While the students may have been motivated...Read “Why College Students Use Cognitive Enhancers: It’s Not Only about Grades”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Federal Recommendations on Use of Cognitive Enhancers
The idea that we can get better grades at school and advance our careers by taking drugs that improve concentration and other brain functions is at once controversial and tempting....Read “Federal Recommendations on Use of Cognitive Enhancers”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Cognition Enhancement and Technological Unemployment
One objection to the development of cognitive enhancers is that they are likely to benefit mainly people who can afford to buy them, and that they would put everyone else...Bioethics Forum Essay
A Decade’s Worth of Gene-Environment Interaction Studies, in Hindsight
In the early 2000s, Avshalom Caspi, Terrie Moffitt, and their colleagues published two papers (here and here), which suggested that we could finally begin to tell rather simple but evidence-based stories about...Read “A Decade’s Worth of Gene-Environment Interaction Studies, in Hindsight”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Genetic Testing in Torts Litigation – Justice or Injustice?
Genetic testing to identify the susceptibility of individuals to developing specific disorders or to confirm diagnoses is becoming increasingly common in clinical settings, where it raises a string of ethical...Read “Genetic Testing in Torts Litigation – Justice or Injustice?”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Genetic Information Is Not Always Benign
Ethicists and others have been concerned that the disclosure of genetic information to patients might have negative consequences. The suspicion has been that negative effects, say, becoming depressed, are particularly...Bioethics Forum Essay
Driverless Cars: Can There Be a Moral Algorithm?
The death in May of a technology expert driving a Tesla driverless car was surely a sad event for his family, but no less a shock for a company and...Hastings Center News
Erik Parens Addresses National Academies on Human Genetic Enhancement
What if gene editing technologies such as CRISPR could be used to safely and effectively “enhance” future generations – to make them, for example, better able to perform on IQ...Read “Erik Parens Addresses National Academies on Human Genetic Enhancement”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Imperfect Solutions to Driverless Car Dilemmas
Three rules for driverless vehicles were announced by the German Transport Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, in a September 8th interview with Wirtschafts Woche. In English translation the rules are: (1) “It...Hastings Center News
President Solomon Identifies Four Big Questions of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”
Advances in information technologies and artificial intelligence, biological sciences, and physical sciences are recognized as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, holding promise for bringing great benefits but also harms. Hastings Center...Read “President Solomon Identifies Four Big Questions of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution””
Hastings Center News
Can We Keep Artificial Intelligence Safe, Controllable, and Beneficial?
Watch the video of The Hastings Center’s public event on AI, featuring three of the world’s most prominent experts on the social and ethical implications of machine intelligence, who are...Read “Can We Keep Artificial Intelligence Safe, Controllable, and Beneficial?”
Hastings Center News
Playing God: From Frankenstein to Gene Editing
What lessons does Frankenstein hold for us today, when powerful new technologies such as gene editing and artificial intelligence are bringing us closer than ever to playing God? That question...Hastings Center News
Watch The Hastings Center’s Symposium on Gene Editing at AAAS Annual Meeting
A symposium organized by The Hastings Center for the AAAS annual meeting took place on February 17. Click here to watch. “The Ethics of Gene Editing: Should Concerns Beyond Safety...Read “Watch The Hastings Center’s Symposium on Gene Editing at AAAS Annual Meeting”
Hastings Center News
When Criminal Behavior is the Result of a Misdiagnosed Brain Illness
Deven, a 60-year-old public school teacher, began acting erratically and irresponsibly. His doctor attributed his symptoms to depression and midlife crisis, but in fact he was suffering from frontotemporal dementia,...Read “When Criminal Behavior is the Result of a Misdiagnosed Brain Illness”
Hastings Center News
What Does It Mean to Be Human?
World-renowned theologian Harvey G. Cox, Jr. came to The Hastings Center for a wide-ranging conversation about the impact of gene editing on humanity. Joined by Daniel Callahan, cofounder of The...Bioethics Forum Essay
Engineering Consensus in the Development of Genome Editing Policy
In the past few weeks media outlets have been reporting on the release of Human Genome Editing: Science, Ethics, and Governance from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine....Read “Engineering Consensus in the Development of Genome Editing Policy”
Bioethics Forum Essay
OrthoKantics
In 2008, The President’s Council on Bioethics turned to Immanuel Kant and his deontological philosophy as a resource for deliberations on contemporary bioethical issues. The report focused on Kant’s understanding...Hastings Center News
Association of Health Care Journalists Meeting Features Hastings Center Experts
The Hastings Center teamed up with the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) to create three sessions on gene editing for its annual meeting in Orlando on April 20. In...Read “Association of Health Care Journalists Meeting Features Hastings Center Experts”
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...Hastings Center News
Ethical Questions About Whole-Genome Sequencing, 23andme, and More from the Brain-Genetics Frontier
Braingenethics Update, a free monthly newsletter, aggregates recent scientific literature, commentary, and news on questions raised by findings on the genetics of complex human behaviors. It is produced by the...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
In New Frankenstein Edition, Hastings Scholar Asks, What Do We Owe Our Creations?
What do scientists and engineers owe to their creations? What responsibility do they bear for harms that their creations cause? How does being responsible for our creations change us? These...Read “In New Frankenstein Edition, Hastings Scholar Asks, What Do We Owe Our Creations?”
Hastings Center News
Helping Transgender Adolescents Make Informed Decisions About Their Reproductive Care
Danielle is a 15-year-old transgender female who is about to begin hormone therapy. Her parents would like her to explore gamete cryopreservation – sperm freezing – as a means of...Read “Helping Transgender Adolescents Make Informed Decisions About Their Reproductive Care”
Hastings Center News
Genome Sequencing of Newborns: How Can It Be Done Responsibly?
This was one of the many big questions explored at Genomics and Society, a major conference last week on the ethical, legal, and social implications of genomic research. Several Hastings...Read “Genome Sequencing of Newborns: How Can It Be Done Responsibly?”
Hastings Center News
Hastings Center Welcomes Inaugural Rice Family Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioethics and the Humanities
Joel Michael Reynolds has joined The Hastings Center as its first Rice Family Postdoctoral Fellow in Bioethics and the Humanities. The fellowship is supported by the National Endowment for the...Hastings Center News
Natalie Kofler: What Role Should Humans Play in “Editing Nature”?
Natalie Kofler, a postdoctoral research scientist at Yale University, visited The Hastings Center earlier this summer to explore the ethical questions surrounding the use of gene editing technologies in the...Read “Natalie Kofler: What Role Should Humans Play in “Editing Nature”?”
Hastings Center News
Choosing Flourishing: Erik Parens Calls for Fresh Thinking on Disability
Disability advocates and bioethicists have long debated whether it is appropriate for individuals, particularly prospective parents engaged in reproductive decision-making, to “choose disability,” as in the case of a deaf...Read “Choosing Flourishing: Erik Parens Calls for Fresh Thinking on Disability”
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
International Sharing of Biological Specimens and Health Data: A Gap in the Consent Process?
The Precision Medicine Initiative plans to collect data and biological samples from one million or more individuals in the United States and engage in internationally collaborative research. That means that...Read “International Sharing of Biological Specimens and Health Data: A Gap in the Consent Process?”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Should We Get Ready for Prime Time?
For the first few years after my husband Howard died, I talked to him often. These were not ghostly, paranormal encounters; I was just thinking out loud about my life...Hastings Center News
Josephine Johnston Tackles Gene Editing in “Prestigious Speaker” Series
Using gene editing to modify genes responsible for devastating illnesses such as cystic fibrosis seems overwhelmingly desirable, but could there be unintended consequences? Might the ability to select for certain...Read “Josephine Johnston Tackles Gene Editing in “Prestigious Speaker” Series”
Hastings Center News
The Hastings Center Joins Partnership on AI
With the power of artificial intelligence, machines can perform increasingly complex tasks, such as speech, learning, planning, and problem-solving. While AI technologies may bring great value to individuals and society,...Hastings Center News
Hastings Center Genetics Symposium Draws Journalists from Around the World
Is there a parental obligation to create “better” babies? Now that scientists can genetically edit plants and animals for agricultural and other purposes, what can we learn from the longstanding...Read “Hastings Center Genetics Symposium Draws Journalists from Around the World”
Hastings Center News
Four Ethical Priorities for Neurotechnologies and AI
Artificial intelligence and brain-computer interfaces could revolutionize the treatment of paralysis, schizophrenia, and more. But these neurotechnologies must respect and preserve people’s privacy, identity, agency, and equality, states an article...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
Good Sport: Why Our Games Matter and How Doping Undermines Them
In the wake of Olympic doping scandals and just before the Winter Games in Pyeongchang in February, a new book by Hastings Center President Emeritus Thomas Murray explores the use...Read “Good Sport: Why Our Games Matter and How Doping Undermines Them”
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...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
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...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: Could Human Cells “Humanize” Research Animals?
And what does “humanize” even mean? Those are among the questions being explored in a new Hastings Center project, funded by the National Institutes of Health, on the ethical oversight...Read “New Project: Could Human Cells “Humanize” Research Animals?”
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”
Hastings Center News
Control and Responsible Innovation of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence and robotics are beginning to transform nearly every sector and facet of modern life. While the benefits and expected benefits could be vast, there are also concerns about...Read “Control and Responsible Innovation of Artificial Intelligence”
Hastings Center News
Policy Recommendations: Control and Responsible Innovation of Artificial Intelligence
A major international project at The Hastings Center released policy recommendations for the development of artificial intelligence and robotics to help reap the benefits and productivity gains and minimize the...Read “Policy Recommendations: Control and Responsible Innovation of Artificial Intelligence”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Moratorium on Human Genome Editing: Time to Get It Right
Last month, the journal Nature published a call for a global moratorium on heritable human genome editing. Despite criticism, notably from CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna, the moratorium is just what's needed now.Read “Moratorium on Human Genome Editing: Time to Get It Right”
Bioethics Forum Essay
Why Avoid the “M-Word” in Human Genome Editing?
It is a truism that good ethics begins with good facts. Here are some of the facts about the ethics and politics of heritable human genome editing from 2015 to 2019.Bioethics Forum Essay
Rationality as Understood by a Neanderthal
The new indie movie William explores the question, What would it be like if a Neanderthal were born and raised in a modern, industrialized society today?Bioethics Forum Essay
We Should Be Concerned About Athletes Having to ‘Dope Down’
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has decided that female athletes with atypically high levels of testosterone must take testosterone-lowering medication in order to compete in certain events. I'm troubled by the precedent this sets.Read “We Should Be Concerned About Athletes Having to ‘Dope Down’”
Hastings Center News
National Endowment for the Humanities Supports New Hastings Center Project on Disability, Technology, and Flourishing
Through a series of public events featuring writers, scholars, and artists with disabilities, the project will explore how technologies can be used to promote or thwart human flourishing.Bioethics Forum Essay
Should Pandora’s Brain Be Regulated?
The creation of humanlike intelligence in a nonbiological being would be the greatest achievement in human history. Many experts believe this will happen within decades. What role should, or could, regulatory bodies play?Hastings Center News
Does Genetic Testing Pose Psychosocial Risks?
Hastings Center News
Hastings Partners on Unprecedented Genetics Resource Hub
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Hastings Center News
New Book: Human Flourishing in an Age of Gene Editing
New book edited by Hastings Center scholars explores fundamental questions about the nature and well-being of human beings at a time when a revolutionary new biotechnology could permanently change the human species.Read “New Book: Human Flourishing in an Age of Gene Editing”
Hastings Center News
New Hastings Researcher Tackles Questions About Genetic Research on Human Behavior
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Hastings Center News
December 3–Belonging: On Disability, Technology, and Community
Read “December 3–Belonging: On Disability, Technology, and Community”
Hastings Center News
Yes, We’re Animals: Why We Should Face Up to This Reality Now
In an age of new biotechnologies, from gene editing to neural enhancement, is there a tension in the idea that humans have special value because they’re somehow different or exceptional in nature? Dwelling on the idea that there’s something extraordinary about being human – and ignoring our kinship with life on our planet – is becoming a problem, says Melanie Challenger, an award-winning British writer and a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics who has been a visiting scholar at The Hastings Center in November.Read “Yes, We’re Animals: Why We Should Face Up to This Reality Now”
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.Hastings Center News
Progressives, Conservatives, and Social Genomics
Over the past decade, the new field of social genomics has investigated how genomic differences among people are linked to differences in their behaviors and social outcomes, including educational attainment...
