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Bioethics

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Photo of a newborn baby wearing a pink wristband and clothes wrapped in a green blanket, sleeping peacefully.

Consciousness

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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

Photo of a hand on a table with a pulse oximeter measuring oxygen saturation and pulse rate on the index finger.

Bioethics

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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

Photo of a glass jar with a lid on a pedestal in a dimly lit setting, with blurred figures in the background.

Bioethics

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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

Photo of an earthworm on rough grey asphalt surface with visible texture and sunlight casting shadows.

Bioethics

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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

Illustration of a medieval trial with a sow and piglets in court, featuring people in robes and a judge in the background.

Animals

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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

Close-up of a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion, and sauce in a sesame seed bun.

Ethics

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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

Colourful brain activity scan with red, green, and purple regions, depicted against a black background.

Neuroscience

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Brain scans look stunning, but what do they actually mean?

Functional brain scans are a valuable tool but their meaning must be interpreted with caution and scepticism

by Danielle Carr

A wooden box filled with vintage black-and-white photographs, showing portraits and various scenes, some faded with age.

Parenting and families

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I’m childfree by choice. Should I feel guilty about ending my line?

My uterus is not my ancestors’ vessel for future progeny. What’s the impact of my choice on my family’s genetic lineage?

by Starre Vartan

Photo of a monkey in a metal cage looking back at the viewer with a neutral expression.

Animals

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My cancer scars map the pain of animals held in research labs

The scars on my body are a constant reminder of why I’ve turned from scholarship on animals to agitating for animals

by Barbara J King