Bioethics

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When does the first spark of human consciousness ignite?

We can’t ask babies what they’re feeling, but ingenious new methods are shedding light on the origins of subjective awareness

by Joel Frohlich

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Why, in a universe of pain, I’m saving stranded earthworms

Any action can seem futile amid so much suffering. I’ve realised the important thing is to stop despairing and do something

by Claire E Schultz

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Some medical devices don’t mean to be racist, but they are

Oppression can get built into anything, including medical devices. How do they influence us, and what can we do about them?

by Vanessa Carbonell & Shen-yi Liao

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When does a human embryo have the moral status of a person?

Weighing up the science and the ethics of research on human embryos beyond its current 14-day restrictions

by David Cox

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If animals are persons, should they bear criminal responsibility?

Were medieval trials of animal criminals not a sign of backwardness, but in fact strangely progressive?

by Ed Simon

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A fake-meat burger, a sex doll and a thought experiment

How is enjoying a burger, even if it’s one made of fake meat, different from enjoying a female, even if she’s a sex doll?

by Rebecca Lowe