While America was rushing to see sharp metal blades jut from Wolverine?s fists during the opening of the third “X-Men” movie last weekend, an academic conference was being held at Stanford University to discuss what might happen if people with … Continue reading →

John Sutherland meets a transhumanist who wrestles with the ethics of technologically enhanced human beings. more

First it was “gray goo,” the threat of self-replicating machines populating the planet. Now an environmental think tank is raising the specter of “green goo,” where biology is used to create new materials and new artificial life forms. more

The South Korean cloning scientist accused of faking his stem cell research has gone on trial in Seoul, charged with fraud and embezzlement. more

“Using the term ‘SCNT’ instead of ‘cloning’ dramatically raised approval ratings”. more

Cloning pioneer Ian Wilmut and three teams of U.K. scientists have asked their government for permission to restart cloning research, which they argue will eliminate the need for women volunteers to take fertility drugs in order to donate their eggs to … Continue reading →

For men who had just thrown a giant ethical bomb into the world of science, Dr. Woo Suk Hwang and Dr. Shin Yong Moon were dashing about Seattle last week in a remarkably relaxed mood. more

UK scientists planning to mix human and animal cells in order to research cures for degenerative diseases fear their work will be halted. more

The public will be asked whether scientists should be allowed to create hybrid human-animal embryos, regulators have announced. more

An ethical storm hit the University of California, Berkeley, earlier this year after it invited more than 5,000 incoming students to receive a personal genetic analysis of three genes associated with how they metabolize lactose, alcohol and folic acid. more