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Forced Physical Exercise as an Intervention for Mental Disorders?
Studies have shown that regular physical activity has benefits for mental health: exercise can help people to recover from depression and anxiety disorders. However, not all people like exercise, and a mental disorder like depression can additionally decrease motivation for physical activity. So the disorder itself might inhibit behaviour that helps to overcome it. We…
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How to deal with double-edged technology
By Brian D. Earp World’s smallest drone? Or how to deal with double-edged technology BBC News reports that Harvard scientists have developed the world’s smallest flying robot. It’s about the size of a penny, and it moves faster than a human hand can swat. Of course, the inventors of this “diminutive flying vehicle” immediately lauded its…
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We voted that you should pay, so pay up— or else!
So runs Huemer’s initial example in considering whether political authority is justified by democracy: you’re out with a group of people at a restaurant and when the bill comes someone suggests you pay, and the motion is carried on a vote. Since we do not think this would be right, nor do we think you’d…
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Global Positioning Systems and Dementia: An Ethical Analysis
Sussex police have announced a scheme to fit people suffering from dementia with GPS tracking systems. These small devices will allow police to locate the wearer, and also allow the wearer to reach a 24 hour helpline by pressing a small button on the device. It has been claimed that these devices will save police…
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Postponed: Wellcome Lectures in Neuroethics 2013
With apologies to speakers and attendees, the above lecture has had to be postponed to next term. A new announcement will be posted shortly with the new details. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience. POSTPONED: Wellcome Lecture in Neuroethics 2013 Venue: Lecture Theatre, Philosophy Faculty, Radcliffe Humanities Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Road, Oxford,…
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Journal of Medical Ethics special issue on the ethics of stem cell-derived gametes
Recent scientific developments suggest that it may become possible to create viable human gametes from human stem cells. It has been suggested that this will lead to the development of a range of new fertility treatments as well as new strands of research. More speculatively, some have argued that it may Allow the radical enhancement…
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Thoughts on assisted suicide
There is another case in the news where someone is making a legal bid to allow his doctors help him to die. These cases are always heartrending. It’s a cliché that hard cases make bad law. But it’s a cliché because it’s true. If we look at individual cases, there are often very strong grounds…
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Politics as tribal allegiance
How strongly wedded are people to their political preferences? The received wisdom amongst political journalists and pollsters is that most people can be counted on to vote for one major party or another, and only a relatively small percentage of people swing elections. It is these people – swinging voters, as they called in Australia…
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Doing Well by Doing Good: Careers that benefit others also benefit you
To what extent do self-interest and altruism conflict? In my latest Quartz article, I suggest that they conflict less than you might think.