http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png http://io9.com/tag/ethics http://io9.com/tag/ethics

Neuroscientists have made huge breakthroughs in our understanding of the inner workings of the mind, particularly how various regions of the brain are linked to specific cognitive processes. This is powerful knowledge... and it could be headed to the battlefield. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5883210&view=rss&microfeed=true

Every day, we get a little closer to bringing prehistoric species back from extinction. Already, researchers are hard at work preparing woolly mammoth tissue for cloning and breeding chickens to more closely resemble the mighty T-Rex. One species on the possible "to-clone" list is modern human's close cousin, the Neanderthal. But if we develop the technology to clone a Neanderthal, does that mean we should? We want to know what you think. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5880249&view=rss&microfeed=true

Brain implantation and manipulation is a mainstay of science fiction. Often, characters can gain extra memory or get smarter, by having chips placed within the brain. (Or you can wind up mind-controlled by a psychopath. It's a mixed bag.) More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5871598&view=rss&microfeed=true

One of the most important duties of a peer-reviewed research journal is to not only feature discoveries at the frontiers of science, but to provide other researchers with the information necessary to build upon said discoveries in a meaningful way. Now, the development of two highly virulent strains of H5N1 — the deadly bird flu virus — is revealing the more subtle complexities of this duty in an unprecedented fashion. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5870127&view=rss&microfeed=true

Most drugs, therapies, or experiments, will have gone through animal testing at one point or another. The ethics of this have been debated — but what are the practicalities? What are the lives, the origins, and the potentials, of laboratory animals? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5867491&view=rss&microfeed=true

Take a look at the virtual upgrade of an old thought experiment, conducted by Carlos David Navarrete, a psychologist at Michigan State University. Which should win out - personal morality or the greater good? And what if either one involves hitting people with a train? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5866039&view=rss&microfeed=true

Babies are already way more adorable and beloved than other humans, but at least we old-timers could scoff at infants and proudly declare, "My senses of fairness and altruism are way better developed than yours!" Well...I've got some bad news. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5848018&view=rss&microfeed=true

The wider a man's face is, the more likely he is to deceive others and cheat to get ahead...or so a new study claims. Is this just the new phrenology, or could there be something to the idea? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5818764&view=rss&microfeed=true

That's the question currently before the Church of England, as an archaeologist has proposed examining William Shakespeare's remains. If nothing else, this is our chance to find out whether Shakespeare wrote the greatest works in the English language...on weed. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5816134&view=rss&microfeed=true

Well, yes of course we should destroy all smallpox. But recently the disease was spared the chop, due to US pressure on the World Health Organization. Why would we want keep this killer alive? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5810931&view=rss&microfeed=true

For the living, doctor/patient confidentiality is considered a basic right, something violated by only the most ethically bankrupt. Yet King Tutankhamen's deadly diseases, incestuous habits, and missing penis make international headlines. Should researchers reveal all this intimate, embarrassing information? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5636808&view=rss&microfeed=true

Though creatures like the Terminator are still scifi dreams, cyborgs already exist in real life. Millions of people use mechanical implants to improve their lives. That opens up urgent questions about cyborg rights, particularly in athletics. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5557783&view=rss&microfeed=true

We've all seen the commercials that say the Navy is "working every day to unman the front lines." How do we do this while avoiding an Asimovian situation where our robots go crazy? And is that even possible? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5510275&view=rss&microfeed=true

Athletes who take performance-enhancing drugs are subject to drug testing, public disgrace, and an asterisk in the record books — but what about students who do the same? One psychologist foresees a future where students get tested for cognition-enhancing drugs. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5371755&view=rss&microfeed=true

Meat eaters looking for ways to enjoy a guilt-free hamburger have looked to ethical ranches and more humane slaughtering methods. But some suggest that instead of getting rid of factory farming, we should eliminate cow's pain. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5352184&view=rss&microfeed=true

Science fiction often gets basic science wrong, but it still has a lot to teach scientists about the implications of their work, says science educator and SF author Mike Brotherton. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5171594&view=rss&microfeed=true

It's a truism in adult science fiction that humans of the future will have sex with robots. But can a robot really consent to have sex when it's been programmed? More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5115376&view=rss&microfeed=true

For $149 dollars, Atlas Sports Genetics will test your child’s DNA and send you a report listing the sports where your child is likely to succeed. Some parents see it as a way to steer their child toward an activity that is a good match for their abilities. But psychologists and ethicists fear that assigning your child a sports orientation will do more harm than good. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5100576&view=rss&microfeed=true

Combat robots and computerized missile launchers may one day be better soldiers than humans because they are programmed with ethical behavior and will never engage in friendly fire. You learn about all this and more from videos just posted from the awesome Technology in Wartime conference, held two weeks ago at Stanford's Center for Internet and Society, and organized by Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. (Caveat: I'm the Vice President of CPSR, and helped organize this conference.) More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=353474&view=rss&microfeed=true