Philosophy & Ethics

Public Universities Shouldn't Be Making Political Donations

It was recently revealed that the University of Wollongong has spent around A$20,000 over the past five years on lunches and dinners with politicians, including several fundraising events for the Liberal Party. Usually only one person attended these funct ...

Article - The Conversation - Jun 3 2015 - 11:00am

Disabled People Pay For Sex Too: What Happens When Buying It Is Criminalized But Selling Isn't?

Northern Ireland recently changed the law to criminalize the act of paying for sex. This follows a trend set in Sweden, where selling sex is legal but buying it is criminalized. ...

Article - The Conversation - Jun 11 2015 - 11:30am

Sometimes Arguments Are Not Just “Semantics”

I’m a philosopher, working in logic and related issues. This means that I spend a lot of my time working with words and arguments. And sometimes, when I’m not feeling so good about things, it can seem like it doesn’t matter, that it’s all just words. Argu ...

Article - The Conversation - Jun 14 2015 - 8:00am

Reflexes of the Quantum Realities

In this short note physiological terms of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes are suggested for description of the sensitive active reflexive feature of quantum reality related to the impact of observational device. Those new in quantum physics terms in ...

Blog Post - Emmanuel Lipmanov - Jun 19 2015 - 8:20pm

Ethics Complaint Brought Against NY Forensic Science Commissioners

Keeping the Gate is the first to announce that an anonymous complaint addressed to the New York Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) has been made against famed O.J. Simpson defense attorneys Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, who are the cofounders of ...

Blog Post - John M. Collins - Jul 9 2015 - 9:35am

Atheism Peaks, While Spiritual Groups Move Toward Convergence

Globalized data shows hardliners on all sides losing, and points to emergence of open-minded pro-science, pro-spiritual outlook * ...

Blog Post - Nury Vittachi - Jul 14 2015 - 5:01am

What If We Can 'Pre-Diagnose' Autism In Babies?

For children with autism, early intervention is critical. Therapies and education – especially in the first two years of life – can facilitate a child’s social development, reduce familial stress and ultimately improve quality of life. But while we can re ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 2 2015 - 8:00am

What Are The Ethics Of Research Using Human Fetal Tissue?

Based on the furor currently engulfing the US, you might imagine that the use of fetal tissue is illegal. But in fact the collection and use of cells obtained from a human fetus following miscarriage or abortion has a long history in medical science. ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 15 2015 - 11:54am

Australia Allows IVF To Choose Gender: Is That Sexism?

Australian guidelines for the ethical use of IVF allow selecting a child’s sex for medical reasons. But draft guidelines that are now open for public submissions raise the possibility of extending this and allowing the choice for social reasons. ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 24 2015 - 8:00am

Stem Cell Research Informed Consent: What To Know

Ongoing developments in stem cell science mean that researchers often have no idea how, one year down the line, they will use specimens of human biological material. But when a scientist takes a swab of your saliva, a sample of your blood or a piece of yo ...

Article - The Conversation - Aug 27 2015 - 7:26pm