May 24, 2019
Human Enhancement
May 2, 2019
Breast Implants Tied to Rare Cancer to Remain on US Market
(Medical Xpress) – U.S. health authorities will allow a type of breast implant linked to a rare form of cancer to stay on the market, saying its risks do not warrant a national ban. But the Food and Drug Administration … Read More
April 2, 2019
One Day There May Be a Drug to Turbocharge the Brain. Who Should Get It?
(New York Times) – But what happens if scientists get unstuck? What if a drug that enhances cognition really were possible? Eric Juengst, the director of the University of North Carolina Center for Bioethics, has been thinking about these questions … Read More
March 27, 2019
America Is Too Glib About Breast Implants
(The Atlantic) – Boob jobs have been ubiquitous in American popular culture since the 1980s, when laws changed to allow plastic surgeons to advertise and credit cards became widely available. But safety concerns have dogged the procedure since the first … Read More
March 26, 2019
A New Edition of Journal of Applied Philosophy Is Now Available
Journal of Applied Philosophy (vol. 35, no. 4, 2018) is available online by subscription only. Articles include: “The Taste Question in Animal Ethics” by Jean Kazez “No Such Thing as Killer Robots” by Michael Robillard “Ageing and Terminal Illness: Problems … Read More
March 25, 2019
Silicon Valley Techies Are Turning to a Cheap Diabetes Drug to Help Them Live Longer
(CNBC) – Ariel Poler is a veteran angel investor who spends his days traveling around the Bay Area to meet with entrepreneurs. Now in his early fifties, he also thinks a lot more about his own health, so he makes … Read More
March 21, 2019
Testosterone Limits for Female Athletes Not Backed by Science, Say Academics
(The Guardian) – Proposed regulations on testosterone levels in women’s athletics have been criticised by academics who say they are not backed by scientific evidence and risk opening a pandora’s box on genetic advantages in sport. The International Association of … Read More
February 19, 2019
FDA: Young-Blood Transfusions Provide ‘No Proven Clinical Benefit’ for Aging, Alzheimer’s
(STAT News) – The quest to rejuvenate aging people with the blood of young donors has generated paying customers, captured the popular imagination, and, now, prompted a warning from the Food and Drug Administration. The agency on Tuesday said in … Read More
February 18, 2019
Gender Transition Hormone Therapy May Increase Cardiovascular Risk
(UPI) – Transgendered people who’ve undergone hormone therapy may be at an elevated risk for cardiovascular events, a new study says. People receiving estrogen and testosterone treatments as a part of their gender transition have an increased risk for heart … Read More
February 13, 2019
Body Modification–When Consent Is Not Defense
(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
Human Enhancement: Is It Good for Society?
(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
FDA Alerts More Doctors of Rare Cancer with Breast Implants
(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
The DIY Designer Baby Project Funded with Bitcoin
(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
After Ghoulish Allegations, a Brain-Preservation Company Seeks Redemption
(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
A New Edition of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Is Now Available
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
A New Edition of Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics Is Now Available
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
A New Edition of Irish Theological Quarterly Is Now Available
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 Dream of Augmented Humans Endures, Despite Skepticism
(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
A New Edition of Neuroethics Is Now Available
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
A Tale of 2 Implants: How the Price Depends on Who Is Picking Up the Tab
(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
Silicon Valley’s Quest for Immortality–And Its Worrying Sacrifices
(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
Microchip Implants Are Threatening Workers’ Rights
(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
36-Year-Old Dallas Woman in Coma after Plastic Surgery in Mexico
(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
A New Edition of Medical Law Review Is Now Available
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
Long-Term Safety of Silicon Breast Implants Still Unclear
(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
