Policy & Ethics

If you want to look for the day when chemophobia - an irrational fear of harmless trace chemicals - came into being, September 6th, 1958 has to be in the running.

The world is abuzz with smartphones, smartwatches, smart thermostats – artificial intelligence, by whatever name you choose is upon us.

There is a stinking, pathetic double standard at the heart of scientific publishing, as well as science communication in general:

The American Council on Science and Health has had plenty of problems with Tom Frieden, M.D., the former head of the CDC and New York City health commissioner (See

Laws are being passed in the USA that make it possible to compel people to receive treatment for health problems they don’t believe they have.

Oregon is widely seen as a progressive state. It was the first to permit physician-assisted suicide. The state has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1988.

Medical ethics can be thorny even with a relatively benign topic being considered. But physician-assisted suicide (PAS) is anything but benign.

If somebody invented a device that could save the lives of millions of smokers, should society encourage its use?

If you were living in Austria, Russia, and Sweden in August of 1805, declaring war on France, led by the legendary tactician Napoleon Bonaparte, must have felt like a suicide mission. It basically was.

Self-righteous busybodies, apparently not content with the carnage caused by their magnificently inept mishandling of the fake opioid crisis, (1) have taken up a new cause - one that will make many of you anxious.