david, Author at Bioethics Today

Comprehensive Doctrines of Bioethics Experts

david3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

The notion of moral expertise is contested. Some think that there are no such experts, while others think that moral experts do exist, but their expertise are limited.
This article critically assesses the suggestion that members of ethics commissions should be seen as moral experts. The article does so by looking at how different comprehensive doctrines would approach this suggestion.
The article concludes that the suggestion faces significant difficulties regardless of which comprehensive doctrine one subscribes to.
The role of moral experts as members of ethics commissions is a controversial one. Critics argue that …

Nudges in Bioethics

david3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to use “nudges” in public policy. The idea is that small changes in the way choices are presented can lead to better outcomes, without requiring people to make difficult decisions.
This approach has been used in a variety of domains, from retirement savings to organ donation. In the area of bioethics, nudges have been proposed as a way to increase vaccination rates, reduce waste in biomedical research, and promote organ donation.
There are many potential benefits of using nudges in bioethics. Nudges can help us make better decisions by taking our cognitive biases into …

Bioethics and Its Topic-Modeling Study

david3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

In this study, we use topic modeling to analyze the development of the Hastings Center Report over its 50-year history. We find that the Report has shifted from a focus on end-of-life issues in its early years to a broader focus on biomedical ethics in recent years.
Our results suggest that the Report has played an important role in shaping debates within the field of bioethics.
We find that the Hastings Center Report has generally maintained a focus on core topics such as end-of-life care, medical decision-making, and professional ethics.
However, there has been a shift in emphasis over time, with increasing attention…

An Update on Covid-19 Situation in Africa

david3 years ago3 years ago02 mins

A new study has found that the vast majority of coronavirus genomes from Africa are closely related to a single lineage that is different from the ones spreading in Europe and North America. The study, published in the journal Nature, analyzed over 100,000 genomes of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Of these genomes, only 3.8 percent belonged to lineages that have been previously identified in Europe and North America. The rest belonged to a single lineage known as 20A.EU1.
This lineage is thought to have first emerged in Africa sometime around mid-October 2020. It then rapidly spread across the continent and has now become the …

The Impact of Covid-19 on Our Personalities

david3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

It’s been years now since the pandemic started. And in that time, we’ve all changed in some way or another. Some of us have had to become more organized with our time. Others have had to learn how to cook for themselves. And some of us have even had to become better at managing our stress levels.
But one thing that hasn’t changed much is our personalities. Sure, we may be a little more anxious than usual or a little more irritable. But for the most part, our personality types have stayed the same.
Or have they?
It’s possible that our personalities may have changed more than we realize during the …

Covid-19 Discovery by Wuhan Doctor Li Wenliang

david3 years ago3 years ago03 mins

In early December, as China was grappling with its first known outbreak of a new coronavirus, a Wuhan doctor named Li Wenliang sounded the alarm about the pathogen in a private chat group. He was reprimanded by the police and silenced. But his early warnings would ultimately help spur the world’s response to Covid-19. The Chinese ophthalmologist later died from the virus himself; his death led to public outcry and nationwide mourning in China.
The discovery of the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was a significant scientific achievement. The identification and sequencing of the virus have allowed researchers to better …

What Are the Advantages of Vaping?

david3 years ago3 years ago05 mins

The use of e-cigarettes like these has risen in the 21st century. To understand the popularity of vaping, you can check out the many advantages of vaping if you are planning to start vaping soon:
Not as Harmful Compared to Smoking
When you smoke a tobacco cigarette, you are exposing yourself to more than 7000 harmful chemicals. These chemicals are toxic, and some of them are carcinogenic. On the other hand, vaping does not have as many harmful chemicals compared to smoking, thus making e-cigarettes a …