Is ethics a branch of Politics?

Returning to take a more in-depth look at the work of The Hastings Center and its interest in bio-ethics, I would like to review their recent online and hardback publication entitled From Birth to Death and Bench to Clinic: The Hastings Center Bioethics Briefing Book for Journalists, Policymakers, and Campaigns. Reading this book I became ... Is ethics a branch of Politics?

Cristina Grasseni
Jonathan Hankins

Nature, New Yorker on Cognitive Enhancement

“…we call for a presumption that mentally competent adults should be able to engage in cognitive enhancement using drugs.” — Greely, Sahakian, Harris, Kessler, Gazzaniga, Campbell, Farah, Nature, 7 December, 2008 Back in December, Nature published a remarkable editorial, Towards Responsible Use of Cognitive-enhancing Drugs by the Healthy, that concludes “Safe and effective cognitive enhancers ... Nature, New Yorker on Cognitive Enhancement

Scott Berkun on Responsibility and Resistance

Scott Berkun is the author of The Myths of Innovation, which examines common pre- and mis-conceptions about innovation, and Making Things Happen, a book about project management. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, HarvardBusiness.org, and Wired magazine, and commented about innovation for CNBC, MSNBC, and National Public Radio. He’s also ... Scott Berkun on Responsibility and Resistance

Judith Estrin: Closing the Innovation Gap

Judith Estrin is the author of Closing the Innovation Gap: Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy, the Chief Executive Officer of JLabs LLC in Menlo Park, Calif., and serves on the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company and FedEx Corporation. Best known for her work as an entrepreneur, and for ... Judith Estrin: Closing the Innovation Gap

On the Media and Innovation: an Interview with Scott Kirsner

Scott Kirsner writes the weekly Innovation Economy column for the Boston Globe, and is the author of Inventing the Movies: Hollywood’s Epic Battle Between Innovation and the Status Quo, from Thomas Edison to Steve Jobs. He is also a contributor to the New York Times, Wired, Variety, Fast Company, the Hollywood Reporter, Salon.com, BusinessWeek, and ... On the Media and Innovation: an Interview with Scott Kirsner

Deepening The Public Conversation Around Bioethics (part 1)

An Interview with Dr. Thomas Murray (Thomas Murray is President of The Hastings Center, an independent bioethics research institute founded in 1969 and based in Garrison, NY.) One of the world’s leading institutions in bioethics, the Hastings Center takes an approach characterized by interdisciplinary inquiry, broad public engagement, scenario-based thinking, public service, and engagement with ... Deepening The Public Conversation Around Bioethics (part 1)

By Any Other Name

For people new to the work of the Bassetti Foundation, the concept of “responsibility in innovation” can be somewhat elusive. But like most other general concepts, responsibility in innovation is reflected in a wide variety of disciplines, though often by other names. For example, Legal scholars sometimes frame the issue in terms of liability, or ... By Any Other Name

Design-Push Innovation: Changing Accepted Meanings (part 2)

(An interview with Roberto Verganti – …continues from the previous entry) Jeff Ubois: There was a Japanese cartoon that had flashing robot eyes. They were strobing at a rate that induced epileptic seizures in some people. Roberto Verganti: You know, another example is TV shows, you come from that industry, media, where the Simpsons was ... Design-Push Innovation: Changing Accepted Meanings (part 2)

Design-Push Innovation: Changing Accepted Meanings (part 1)

An interview with Roberto Verganti Roberto Verganti is a visiting scholar in the Technology and Operations Management unit at the Harvard Business School, and Professor of Management of Innovation at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His research explores the management of innovation, particularly design driven innovation in rapidly changing environments. In this interview, we discuss ... Design-Push Innovation: Changing Accepted Meanings (part 1)

Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 3)

(…continues from the previous entry) Ubois: Do you see — I mean, another direction I could see this going is in the ways the lines between warfare and law enforcement get blurrier and blurrier. Arkin: Yeah, but that’s why I’m sticking to international warfare at this early stage right now. Now it’s granted that spin-off ... Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 3)

Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 2)

(…continues from the previous entry) Ubois: It’s an interesting question of when should you essentially exit a field or exit certain social or power structures, because you can’t abide by things any longer. Sort of the Norbert Weiner solution. Or when do you try to remain engaged. Arkin: Well, let me share my experience with ... Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 2)

Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 1)

Dr. Ronald Arkin is a Professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Director of the Mobile Robot Laboratory. In this discussion, he outlines the ethical aspects of robotics, especially those used in war; embedding ethical codes in technical systems; and how practitioners can effectively engage their colleagues in discussions ... Dr. Ronald Arkin on Roboethics and Responsibility (part 1)