September 15, 2014
(New Republic) – Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom thinks we’re neglecting the biggest challenge that we as a species are likely to face this century: what to do when the machines take over. We already have artificially-intelligent machines that are “super-human” … Read More
September 10, 2014
(Bloomberg) – The Brookings Institution has published a paper arguing that we might all be cyborgs and that it’s time for the law to respond to this transformation. I find the argument compelling: We have arrived at a stage where … Read More
September 9, 2014
(News.com.au) – IF you knew a medical procedure you needed could be done at the same quality but half the price internationally, would you jump on a plane to have it done? It is estimated that around 15,000 Australians are … Read More
September 4, 2014
The Center for Cultural and Pastoral Research April 17-18, 2015 Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family The Catholic University of America Washington, DC See here for more information.
September 2, 2014
(Daily News Egypt) – Four years after 27-year-old American TV personality and singer Heidi Montag underwent 10 cosmetic procedures in one day, independent American researcher Brett Lunceford uses Montag to examine “the ethics of seeking body perfection”. His examination was … Read More
September 1, 2014
(Slate) – Singularity. Posthuman. Techno-Optimism, Cyborgism. Humanity+. Immortalist. Machine intelligence. Biohacker. Robotopia. Life extension. Transhumanism. These are all terms thrown around trying to describe a future in which mind uploading, indefinite lifespans, artificial intelligence, and bionic augmentation may (and I … Read More
August 29, 2014
(BBC) – Exciting a specific part of the brain with electromagnetic pulses could boost our ability to remember certain facts, a study in Science suggests. The US trials involving 16 volunteers found they made 30% fewer mistakes in memory tests … Read More
August 22, 2014
(Scientific American) – Move over coffee, humanity may soon have a new favorite pick-me-up. Scientists are developing brain-tinkering technologies that can not only make us more alert but fundamentally alter how we think, feel and behave. In the next few … Read More
August 21, 2014
(Business Insider) – In 1929, prosthetics were still rudimentary devices, the idea that brainwaves could be recorded was met with ridicule, and what we would come to think of as “bionics” were many decades away. But John Desmond Bernal could … Read More
August 13, 2014
(New Scientist) – With millions of dollars at stake and tens of thousands of fans watching your every move, the pressure to perform as a professional video-gamer, or esports player, can be huge. And so can the temptation to dope. … Read More
August 11, 2014
(The Economist) – Mr Bostrom is, sensibly, not interested in trying to predict exactly when such successes will translate into a machine that is generally intelligent—able to compete with, or surpass, humans in all mental tasks, from composing sonatas to … Read More
August 8, 2014
(Newsweek) – Women no longer give birth in Aldous Huxley’s classic Brave New World. Instead, surgically removed ovaries are fertilized then bred in artificial receptacles. That was all pulled out of Huxley’s imagination with the help of LSD, but he … Read More
August 5, 2014
(CBS News) – Could stem cell injections help rejuvenate your face or body? Probably not, plastic surgery experts say, but ads for these types of bogus procedures abound on the Internet. “Stem cells offer tremendous potential, but the marketplace is … Read More
July 31, 2014
(Medical Xpress) – Advertising claims for cosmetic procedures using stem cells are running far ahead of the scientific evidence for safety and effectiveness, according to a review in the August issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal … Read More
July 24, 2014
(The Guardian) – Surgeons have pioneered a new knee operation that could prevent the development of arthritis and extend sporting careers. The procedure, which is being trialled at Southampton general hospital, involves coating damaged cartilage with stem cells, taken from … Read More
July 23, 2014
(Associated Press) – Experimentation with human growth hormones by America’s teens more than doubled in the past year, as more young people looked to drugs to boost their athletic performance and improve their looks, according to a new, large-scale national … Read More
July 23, 2014
(Nature) – The problems of old age come as a package. More than 70% of people over 65 have two or more chronic conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Studies of diet, genes and drugs indicate … Read More
July 22, 2014
(Medical Xpress) – A new study in mice reveals that mesenchymal (mezz-EN-chem-uhl) stem cells (MSCs) help rejuvenate skeletal muscle after resistance exercise. By injecting MSCs into mouse leg muscles prior to several bouts of eccentric exercise (similar to the lengthening … Read More
July 15, 2014
Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics (Vol. 35, No. 3, June 2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “What really separates casuistry from principlism in biomedical ethics” by Paul Cudney “Genetic information: making a just world strange” by Iain Brassington … Read More
July 2, 2014
(CNN) – Brown’s story may be severe, but she is part of what the American Society of Plastic Surgeons calls a growing problem: Patients bypassing doctors just to save some money on basic medical procedures. “I think that’s awfully seductive … Read More
June 20, 2014
(Associated Press) – A lawsuit filed Thursday against New York state seeks Medicaid coverage for transgender people seeking what they consider to be life-saving health treatments, including gender change procedures. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan against the … Read More
June 20, 2014
(The Telegraph) – A stem cell treatment first used on racehorses could help humans battle a crippling Achilles tendon disease, scientists have revealed. The existing treatment for Achilles tendinopathy which causes pain in the heel and tendon, helped a horse … Read More
June 20, 2014
(The Guardian) – Fantasies of human enhancement have a long history, from early myths about supernormal strength and eternal life to 20th-century comic superheroes: Superman, Batman, Spider-Man and their many emulators. While early attempts to achieve superpowers in real life – … Read More
June 16, 2014
(Medical Tourism Magazine) – Platelet-rich plasma therapy is one such treatment used today for a variety of sports injuries. For the past two decades, PRP has been known as a bone-healing agent applied following recoveries from spinal injury or plastic … Read More
June 13, 2014
(Time) – A paraplegic man in a state of the art brain-controlled body suit will make the first kick of the World Cup on Thursday in front of 1 billion people. Miguel Nicolelis, a Brazilian neuroscientist at Duke University, led … Read More
