Many bioethics stories cross my inboxes and screens each day. Some I write about here and in other venues, and others I simply blurb or write a short comment on via Twitter. Of course, not everyone is on social media or follows me there, so I thought I’d collect a few items from the past couple of weeks to make sure as many people as possible do see them.
On to the bioethics items:
Good News out of DC on Assisted Suicide
This doesn’t seem to have gotten much coverage in the press, but Yahoo! News reports: “Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., who is a physician, proposed an amendment to the current House Appropriations bill that would void the D.C. [assisted suicide] law completely.” We are watching this closely and will post updates as we have them.
Dear Donor
A young man who was conceived using donor sperm penned a letter to his anonymous donor.
Have you ever wondered about me? I hope so, because you’re not ‘just a sperm donor’ to me. You’re not some guy; you’re a man — one specific person who is probably still alive, walking around with half of my face.
This first came across our screens because of the community that has formed on Facebook around the film Anonymous Father’s Day, and which is maintained by a tireless volunteer (thank you Karen!). Be sure to follow the Anonymous Father’s Day Facebook Page!
Important Questions about Brain-Computer Interfaces
Gizmodo asks “How Will We Stop Hackers From Invading Our Brains Once We’re Cyborgs?”
Although we still don’t fully understand how the brain works, we are moving closer to being able to reliably decode certain brain signals. We shouldn’t be complacent about what this could mean for society
Indeed, one of the reasons we’ve worked so hard in bringing the Paul Ramsey Institute to life is so that we can begin preparing tomorrow’s ethicists, thought leaders, and physicians to proactively confront such questions rather than complacently waiting for these profound changes to wash over us all.