Sunday, June 15, 2008

Messing with our Minds? - Smart drugs and the ethics of neuro-enhancement

The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) interviewed neuroethicists Walter Glannon and Barbara Sahakian about the the ethical concerns of neuroenhancements – are we just ‘messing with our minds’, challenging our authentic selves?

And what about long term risks, particularly for children, when brain chemistry is still in formation? Is brain-doping cheating? One of the interesting ethical and societal questions about neuroenhancement is whether or not we, as a society, will use them ‘smart drugs’ to our benefit, to create a healthier balance in our lives – e.g., finish our work early so we can go home and spend time with our families and loved ones or just have a more balanced life in general -- or will we use them to become manic, nonstop, super-productive working machines?

Listen to the podcast here and let us know what you think.

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