March 4, 2014
(New York Times) – Already the molecular system, known as Crispr, is being used to make genetically engineered laboratory animals more easily than could be done before, with changes in multiple genes. Scientists in China recently made monkeys with changes … Read More
March 3, 2014
(Huffington Post) – Transhumanists are people who desire to use science and technology to improve the human being. While the international movement of transhumanism is rapidly growing and diversifying, its most important goal remains the same: overcoming human mortality. Many … Read More
February 25, 2014
(New York Times) – In the lab of Yannis Pitsiladis, a physiologist in Scotland, athletes spend their days injecting synthetic EPO, a popular performance-enhancing drug that tricks bone marrow into churning out more red blood cells, allowing athletes’ bodies to … Read More
February 24, 2014
(The Guardian) – Ray Kurzweil popularised the Teminator-like moment he called the ‘singularity’, when artificial intelligence overtakes human thinking. But now the man who hopes to be immortal is involved in the very same quest – on behalf of the … Read More
February 24, 2014
(Scientific American) – The so-called “STEM†fields—science, technology, engineering and mathematics—are often grouped together in discussions of education policy or curriculum. But a group of students and faculty at Brown University, the Rhode Island School of Design (R.I.S.D.) and Massachusetts … Read More
February 24, 2014
(Latin Post) – In the past, medical tourism was reserved only for the very rich, or for celebrities who wished to keep their under-the-knife travails secret from the prying eyes of the general public. Today, for a variety of reasons, … Read More
February 20, 2014
(Business Insider) – “The world may be about to watch one of its last Olympic Games without genetically enhanced athletes,” wrote H. Lee Sweeney, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Time to cherish the old-fashioned athletes … Read More
February 19, 2014
(CNN) – CNN’s Piers Morgan talks to Dr. Thomas Romo and one of his clients about offering plastic surgery to bullied kids.
February 14, 2014
(New Scientist) – Breaking up is hard to do. If drugs could ease the pain, when should we use them, asks neuro-ethicist Brian D. Earp. For your research, how do you define love? We tend to think of love as a phenomenon … Read More
February 13, 2014
(CBS News) – Although the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence have made significant gains within the past 15 years, do not expect to see RoboCops walking among humans in the near future, said Charles Higgins, an associate professor of neuroscience and … Read More
February 12, 2014
(Nature) – For most people with ADHD, these medications — typically formulations of methylphenidate or amphetamine — quickly calm them down and increase their ability to concentrate. Although these behavioural changes make the drugs useful, a growing body of evidence … Read More
February 7, 2014
(The Economist) – XENON is one of the shyest members of the periodic table of the elements. Chemically, it is almost inert, and physically, it makes up only 0.000009% of the atmosphere, so it is not surprising that it was … Read More
February 4, 2014
(Wired UK) – Since then, that technique — floating words representing text messages, internet searches, or some other form of technological interface — has become a core element of the series’ identity. And while there are plenty of tech-savvy shows … Read More
January 31, 2014
Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy (Volume 17, No. 1, February 2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles include: “The enhancement debate†by Bert Gordijn and Henk ten Have “Moderate eugenics and human enhancement†by Michael J. Selgelid “Human freedom … Read More
January 29, 2014
Google’s acquisition spree continues as it snaps up London-based DeepMind Technologies, a company describing itself as being on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence. Re/Code, which originally reported the news, said Google had paid $400 million (£242 million) for the … Read More
January 22, 2014
Go go robo-ankle! A robotic device kitted out with artificial muscles could help people with cerebral palsy strengthen their foot and ankle muscles, helping to improve their walking. Yong-Lae Park of Carnegie Mellon University and his colleagues took a standard … Read More
January 20, 2014
The Google lab known for working on unusual projects like self-driving cars is crafting a contact lens that could help diabetics manage blood sugar levels. “We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears,” … Read More
January 16, 2014
In ‘Transcendence’, Johnny Depp plays a brilliant scientist whose mind is allowed to live on and evolve through artificial intelligence, after his body is attacked. (U.S.A. Today)
January 14, 2014
This could be a battle like no other in sport. The authorities are so concerned, they have been preparing for it for more than 10 years. But it is still unclear whether they have the tools to test for it … Read More
January 14, 2014
The field of cybernetics has been around for a long time. Essentially, it is the science (or art) of the evolution of cyborgs. The cyborgs have evolved from assistive cyborgs to creative cyborgs. Not only can they adapt to human … Read More
January 14, 2014
If you worry that the robots are coming, don’t, because they are already here. Artificial intelligence agents are already involved in every aspect of our lives – they keep our inboxes free of spam, they help us make our web … Read More
January 13, 2014
Medical implants, complex interfaces between brain and machine or remotely controlled insects: Recent developments combining machines and organisms have great potentials, but also give rise to major ethical concerns. In a new review, KIT scientists discuss the state of the … Read More
January 8, 2014
A mood-stabilising drug can help you achieve perfect pitch – the ability to identify any note you hear without inferring it from a reference note. Since this is a skill that is usually acquired only early in life, the discovery … Read More
January 1, 2014
Journal of Law and the Biosciences (Volume 1, No. 3, September 2014) is now available online by subscription only. Articles Include: “Outstanding questions concerning the regulation of cognitive enhancement devices” by Dirk De Ridder, Sven Vanneste, and Farah Focquaert “Buttressing regulation of … Read More
December 26, 2013
This is spooky stuff, but it’s real and it’s already happening. Humans are augmenting themselves with computers and technology that will expand their abilities, and it’s going to get more advanced and morally complex as time passes. Imagine transplanting your entire consciousness … Read More
