Our Human Future in an Age of Artificial Intelligence
For the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing Dean Dan Huttenlocher, bringing disciplines together is the best way to address challenges and opportunities posed by rapid…
Ethics News
Hospitals Have Ethical Obligation To Care for Unvaccinated-by-Choice COVID-19 Patients
A new opinion piece published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society provides an exhaustive examination of the ethics of using hospital resources…
Editorial Bias and Nepotism in Biomedical Journals Revealed by Massive Study
Scientific journals are expected to consider research manuscripts dispassionately and without favor. But in a study published on November 23rd, 2021, in the open access…
COVID Vaccine Passports: A Threat to Civil Freedoms and Rights or the Best Way To Prevent Another Lockdown?
Experts argue COVID passes could stop another lockdown or pose threats such as segregation and ongoing surveillance. COVID passes and vaccine passports may promise the…
Startup Colossal Biosciences Wants To Bring Woolly Mammoths Back From Extinction – It Might Not Be Such a Bad Idea
US startup Colossal Biosciences has announced plans to bring woolly mammoths, or animals like them, back from extinction and into the frosty landscape of the…
Science’s New Replication Crisis: Research That Is Less Likely to Be True Is Cited More
Papers that cannot be replicated are cited 153 times more because their findings are interesting, according to a new UC San Diego study. Papers in…
How to Make People Follow COVID-19 Restrictions Without Appealing to Fear
Making people fear the coronavirus may motivate us to wash our hands, keep our distance and wear a face mask. But fear also takes a…
Why COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Methods Fall Short + 3 Ways to Improve Them
Several proposals have emerged on how to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, but they fall short in ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly. A team…
Conservation Paradox: The Pros and Cons of Recreational / Trophy Hunting
Recreational hunting — especially hunting of charismatic species for their trophies — raises ethical and moral concerns. Yet recreational hunting is frequently suggested as a…
When Good Governments Go Bad: History Shows That Societies Collapse When Leaders Undermine Social Contracts
All good things must come to an end. Whether societies are ruled by ruthless dictators or more well-meaning representatives, they fall apart in time, with…
Genetically Engineered Organisms: Path Set for Field Trials of Gene Drive Organisms
As genetically engineered organisms ramp up, a multidisciplinary coalition offers a framework for ethical, socially engaged and transparent field practices. The modern rise of gene…
Ethics Questions on Human Challenge Trials for COVID-19 Vaccines
A Rutgers philosopher examines the ethical questions around human challenge trials for COVID-19 vaccines. The first human challenge trial to test COVID-19 treatments and vaccines…
Zoonosis Threat: Urgent Call for More Effective Wildlife Trade Legislation in Wake of COVID-19
International research team including Göttingen University makes urgent call for more effective wildlife trade legislation. Many diseases, such as COVID-19, have made the jump from…
Seeing Is No Longer Believing: The Manipulation of Online Images
Online images are not always what they seem, especially on social media. A peace sign from Martin Luther King, Jr, becomes a rude gesture; President…
“What if Everyone Did That?” – How We Make Moral Decisions
In some situations, asking “what if everyone did that?” is a common strategy for judging whether an action is right or wrong. Imagine that one…
COVID-19 Pandemic Spawns “Infodemic” in Scientific Literature
New policies, technologies could help make sense of flood of information. The science community has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with such a flurry of…
Researchers Say Tear Gas Should Be Banned – Here’s Why
The use of tear gas is rightfully banned in warfare and should equally be banned as a riot-control agent in law enforcement contexts. The use…
Is It Wrong to Prioritize Younger People Over Older COVID-19 Patients?
With services overburdened, healthcare professionals are having to decide who should receive treatment. But is it wrong to prioritize younger patients with COVID-19? Two experts…
