February 13, 2019
(The Conversation) – The conviction in England of a body modification practitioner for causing grievous bodily harm with intent will have come as a surprise to many practitioners of body modification. The charges relate to three procedures carried out between … Read More
February 11, 2019
(Science Daily) – Human enhancement technologies are opening up tremendous new possibilities. But they’re also raising important questions about what it means to be human. These technologies are currently geared towards upgrading or restoring physical and psychological abilities for medical … Read More
February 7, 2019
(ABC News) – U.S. health officials are telling doctors to be on the lookout for a rare cancer linked to breast implants after receiving more reports of the disease. The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter Wednesday to family … Read More
February 1, 2019
(MIT Technology Review) – For a few years now, Bishop, a 29-year-old programmer and Bitcoin investor, has been leaving a trail of comments about human “enhancement” on the web. He’s a transhumanist, which means he thinks humans can be improved … Read More
January 30, 2019
(STAT News) – Reports that his 3-year-old startup, Nectome, aims to “preserve your brain to bring you back in the future” (according to the website of its venture capital funder) or to “back up your mind,” as per a now-disappeared … Read More
January 17, 2019
The Journal of Medicine & Philosophy (vol. 43, no. 5, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Are We Obliged to Enhance for Moral Perfection?” by Alfred Archer “Can Prudence Be Enhanced?” by Jason T Eberl “Why “Moral … Read More
January 11, 2019
Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics (vol. 27, no. 4, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Pragmatic Convergence and the Epistemology of an Adolescent Neuroethics” by Joseph J. Fins and Judy Illes “The New Ethics of Neuroethics” by … Read More
January 3, 2019
Irish Theological Quarterly (Vol. 83, No. 4, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Unnatural Enhancements” by Steven J. Jensen and José Luis Widow
December 20, 2018
(The Japan Times) – Brain implants, longer lives, genetically modified humans: For the prophets of “transhumanism” — the scientifically assisted evolution of humans beyond our current limitations — it is just a matter of time. But many scientists insist that … Read More
December 18, 2018
Neuroethics (vol. 11, no. 3, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Free Will, Self-Governance and Neuroscience: An Overview” by Alisa Carse, Hilary Bok, and Debra JH Mathews “The Role of Emotion Regulation in Moral Judgment” by Chelsea Helion and Kevin N. Ochsner “Bottom Up Ethics … Read More
December 14, 2018
(ABC News) – Dr. Anupam Jena, a health economist at Harvard Medical School, said it’s precisely because cosmetic patients pay out-of-pocket that their costs for implants are far lower than what hospitals charge reconstructive patients. “Cosmetic surgery providers have to … Read More
December 14, 2018
(The Conversation) – Modern science has opened an assortment of new ways to improve survival, and now members of the technology-driven ultra-rich are adopting these new approaches in an attempt to extend their own lives. But what is often left … Read More
November 26, 2018
(The Conversation) – It’s not often trades unions and employers are equally worried about an issue threatening workers’ rights. But recently, the UK’s Trades Union Congress and the main body that represents British businesses, the CBI, have both voiced concerns … Read More
November 15, 2018
(WFAA) – About three miles from El Paso is Rinocenter, the clinic in Jaurez, Mexico, Laura Avila went to for cosmetic surgery on her nose. Something went wrong during the procedure in late October. Family and friends said Laura lost … Read More
October 29, 2018
Medical Law Review (vol. 26, no. 2, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “When can the Child Speak for Herself? The Limits of Parental Consent in Data Protection Law for Health Research” by Mark J Taylor, Edward S Dove, … Read More
October 18, 2018
(Reuters) – Women with silicone breast implants may have a higher risk of certain medical problems than women who don’t get implants, but more research is needed to get a complete picture of implant safety over the long term, a … Read More
October 17, 2018
(Quartz) – Researchers have found that new experiences carry on molding our brains, and how they learn, right the way through our lives. “Your brain remains plastic until your death,” says Adrien Peyrache, a neuroscientist at McGill University, who points … Read More
October 10, 2018
(The Atlantic) – DARPA has dreamed for decades of merging human beings and machines. Some years ago, when the prospect of mind-controlled weapons became a public-relations liability for the agency, officials resorted to characteristic ingenuity. They recast the stated purpose … Read More
October 10, 2018
(ABC News) – France’s highest court has overturned an appeals court ruling that required around 1,700 women around the world to pay back compensation they received over rupture-prone breast implants. Wednesday’s decision by the Court of Cassation means that the … Read More
October 4, 2018
(CNN) – UK surgeons were strongly warned this week by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons to stop performing Brazilian butt lifts. The organization warns that “risky” Brazilian butt lifts, sometimes called BBLs, have the highest death rate of … Read More
October 2, 2018
Theology and Science (vol. 16, no. 3, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “Genetic Engineering, Virtue-First Enhancement, and Deification in Neo-Irenaean Theodicy” by Mark Walker “Genetic Virtue Program: An Unfeasible Neo-Pelagian Theodicy?” by Arvin M. Gouw “Raising … Read More
September 27, 2018
(Popular Mechanics) – The Pentagon is already researching these seemingly sci-fi concepts. The basics of brain-machine interfaces are being developed—just watch the videos of patients moving prosthetic limbs with their minds. The Defense Department is examining newly scientific tools, like … Read More
September 21, 2018
(The Guardian) – Faguet intends to live for ever, merging with robots and becoming an ultra human. If that goal sounds creepy, laughable or unrealistic, it’s helpful to remember that it is one shared by many influential figures in Silicon … Read More
September 12, 2018
(Vox) – Blame it on selfie culture, a glut of superhero movies, or sheer vanity: A growing number of men are getting cosmetic surgery to enhance their faces and bodies. Last year alone, men accounted for more than 1.3 million … Read More
September 7, 2018
(Aeon) – What sorts of responsibilities would we owe to these simulated humans? However else we might feel about violent computer games, no one seriously thinks it’s homicide when you blast a virtual assailant to oblivion. Yet it’s no longer … Read More
