Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 3, 2008 1:38:00 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

bioethics

bioethics news stories

6 Stories

 Half of US Docs 
 Prescribe Placebos 

Many physicians believe in psychological impact of prescriptions

Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Oct 24, 08 5:45 AM CDT
(Newser) - Half of US doctors admit prescribing drugs to patients just for the placebo effect—to make them think they are taking something beneficial, reports the Chicago Tribune. As many as 56% prescribed antibiotics, painkillers, vitamins, and sedatives in cases where they didn't expect them to have any benefit physically, but thought the pills might have a positive psychological impact, according to a survey. "Frankly, I was astonished," said a bioethics expert. More »

glossies

 Organ Donors 
 Breathe Life 
 Into Death 
 Debate 

Bioethicists weigh ethical, organ-transplant concerns

Economist Economist Oct 5, 08 8:41 PM CDT
(Newser) - The art of extracting human organs has revived a debate about when a person is actually dead, the Economist reports. Forty years ago, the Catholic Church agreed with scientists that brain dead meant dead. But now that doctors are skirting that rule, harvesting organs from horribly brain-damaged donors who are technically alive, the Church is under pressure to put its foot down. More »

Bush Rule Shields Docs Who Deny Women Abortions, Pill

New regulation lets health care workers refuse 'immoral' work

Washington Post Washington Post Aug 22, 08 5:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care workers would have the right to refuse to provide abortion services, contraception or even information on preventing or ending pregnancies under a controversial new regulation issued by the Bush administration. The proposed rule would force hospitals, clinics and other health care providers to accommodate employees' moral objections or lose federal funding, reports the Washington Post .   More »

More about:  abortion • contraception • Health and Human Services • conception • bioethics • Plan B • Mike Leavitt

 Human-Animal Embryos Created 

Controversial cow-human creation lived for three days

Times (UK) Times (UK) Apr 2, 08 6:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - In a brave new world breakthrough, British scientists for the first time have created animal-human hybrid embryos, the London Times reports. The nuclei of cow eggs were removed and replaced with ones from a human cell, creating "admixed" embryos—or "cybrids" whose genetic material is 99.9% human. Electricity jolted the cybrids to life and they survived for three days. The research team aims to create longer-living cybrids for use in stem cell research. More »

More about:  stem cells • stem cell research • embryo • scientists • bioethics • hybrid animal • human embryos

Environment, Bioethics Under Vatican's Scrutiny

Church updates Catholic morality for  modern, globalized life

Reuters Reuters Mar 10, 08 3:30 PM CDT
(Newser) - Catholics must guard against "new sins" such as polluting the environment and using genetic modification, the Vatican says. Their church has updated the concept of sin for the contemporary world, paying special attention to the expanding and morally murky world of bioethics, a top official from the Apostolic Penitentiary, which deals with transgressions of conscience, tells Reuters. More »

Lab Creates Speedy, Lean Mighty Mouse

Modified critters have voracious appetites but manage to stay thin

Guardian (UK) Guardian (UK) Nov 2, 07 1:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have made speedy super mice by flipping a genetic switch, reports the Guardian . The mice can run 30 times as far as regular mice, and they live longer and breed later. They also eat 60% more food than average mice but manage to stay leaner and possibly more resistant to cancer, say researchers at Case Western Reserve University. More »

More about:  biology • mice • genetic modification • bioethics • Case Western Reserve University

6 Stories

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »