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HFEA and Regulating Reproduction:Triumph for Rationality and Victory for Secular Ethics
MPs voted on Tuesday on two of the most controversial issues surrounding reproduction- the provision of IVF treatment, and the availability of legal abortion. Under the new laws, IVF clinics will no longer have a legal requirement to consider the need for a father, but will instead be asked to ensure provision of ‘supportive parenting’,…
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The new asbestos?
Carbon nanotubes are tiny man-made fibers with an incredibly high tensile strength. They are one of the most promising nanotechnological developments with many potential applications in electronics, medicine and futuristic materials. However, a new study by a group of scientists from the US and the UK suggests that carbon nanotubes may cause health problems similar…
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The New Law on Admixed Embryos and the Genetic Heritage of the Living Kingdom
Scientists in the US recently created a fluorescent human embryo. This was achieved by inserting a gene for green fluorescent protein. This shows that it is possible to successfully transfer a gene from a non-human animal to a human and for that gene to express its function. Other animal studies have shown that such gene…
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Saviour Siblings Saved!
Two attempts to amend the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill’s provision to allow ‘saviour siblings’ failed in the House of Commons yesterday. The first attempt was to block the practice and failed 342 to 163. The second attempt was to limit the provision to life-threatening cases. It was defeated 318 to 149. As it stands…
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Viability and the abortion debate – what really matters?
Advocates and opponents of the change have pointed to scientific evidence about the viability of infants born extremely prematurely at 22, 23 and 24 weeks. They seem to believe that if we can answer the scientific question of whether such infants are viable, that will resolve the question about whether or not abortion is permissible…
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Humane Evolution
Professor John Harris wonders Who’s afraid of a synthetic human? in the Times. He argues we should support the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill because it will help us develop effective therapies and enhance ourselves. Science is about bettering our lot, after all. In particular, he says, synthetic biology may help us avoid going extinct…
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The Ethics of ‘Human Admixed Embryos’: Concerns and Responses
By Loane Skene, Professor of Law, University of Melbourne and Julian Savulescu, Uehiro Chair in Practical Ethics and Director Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, University of Oxford The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Bill, currently before the UK Parliament, will, if passed, permit HFEA to license the creation for research of embryos that combine…
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A Second Human Singularity?
If the view of the human mind held by some researchers is correct, we might see human development as having had its own singularity.
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A Pipeline to Truth? Fighting Absenteeism with Voice Analysis
The Daily Mail warns that bosses want to use over-the-phone lie detectors to catch out workers pulling a sickie. The issue is the new generation of voice analysis software that listens in when someone calls in sick, and prompts the person talking the call on whether the person is suspiciously stressed. Yet another step towards…
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Looking for Biopolitical Trouble
Researchers at Cornell university have developed a genetically modified human embryo expressing a green fluorescent protein. This is a technology already demonstrated in animals (and plants), including monkeys. But the news that it had been done to a human embryo has stirred up reactions worrying about designer babies. Are we already in a brave new…