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Philosophy - 03.10.2022

Does mask-wearing affect behavior?
New research, set in China, suggests that using masks for health reasons also leads people to behave more ethically. Since 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a global increase in the number of people wearing masks to limit the spread of illness. Now, new research co-authored by MIT scholars suggests that, in China at least, wearing masks also influences how people act.

Philosophy - 22.09.2022

Ethics of humanitarian data need improving
Researchers at the University of Warwick and its partners have published a report. Data and Displacement: Assessing the Practical and Ethical Implications of Data-Driven Humanitarianism for Internally Displaced Persons in Camp-Like Settings reveals that, as new ways to collect data continue to grow, humanitarian actors need to improve ethical and operational data practices for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

Innovation - Philosophy - 16.05.2022

TU Delft has launched the Digital Ethics Centre for fair and safe AI
Back to (previous) overview TU Delft's latest news Our society is digitising itself more and more. That offers opportunities, such as more efficient working, but it also raises many ethical questions - the sort of questions now being addressed by TU Delft's new Digital Ethics Centre. Together with government agencies and companies, the centre's researchers are looking at the ethical side of AI and digitalisation, such as fairness, safety and transparency, and seeking to develop the best solutions and applications.

Computer Science - Philosophy - 28.01.2021

Peter Spirtes To Head Carnegie Mellon’s Department of Philosophy
Carnegie Mellon University has appointed Peter Spirtes head of the Department of Philosophy , effective July 1. "I am excited to work with Peter in this new role," said Richard Scheines , Bess Family Dean of the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. "He is not only a founding member of what is acknowledged to be one of the best philosophy departments in the world, but also a scholar of enormous impact, a faculty member of remarkably sound judgment and a person of enormous integrity." Spirtes will succeed David Danks, who has served as department head since 2014.

Health - Philosophy - 20.07.2020

Blueprint for the perfect coronavirus app
Many countries are turning to digital aids to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. ETH researchers are now pointing out the ethical challenges, that need to be taken into account and the issues that need careful consideration when planning, developing and implementing such tools. Handwashing, social distancing and mask wearing: all these measures have proven effective in the current COVID-19 pandemic - just as they were 100 years ago when the Spanish flu was raging throughout the world.

Philosophy - Economics - 29.04.2020

Memory misfires help selfish maintain their self-image
When people behave selfishly, they have a reliable ally to keep their self-image well-polished - their own memory. When asked to recall how generous they were in the past, selfish people tend to remember being more benevolent than they actually were, according to a series of experiments by Yale psychologists and economists at University of Zurich published April 29 Communications.

Philosophy - Computer Science - 05.04.2020

Ethical challenges in the age of digitisation
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung recently published a paper on the ethical challenges of digitisation written by Peter Seele, economist, philosopher and professor of business ethics at USI Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society and Dirk Helbing, professor of Computational Social Science at ETH Zurich.

Philosophy - 03.04.2020

The quick quiz to spot a master manipulator
Researchers have developed a new way to measure Machiavellianism - a personality type which has a tendency to exploit, deceive and distrust others. Rigorous statistical testing identified these master manipulators with 12 simple questions and experts found males scored higher than females. Lead authors Dr Conal Monaghan and Dr Boris Bizumic, from The Australian National University (ANU), said people with high Machiavellian or "high Mach" scores had consistent views and tactics across languages, cultures, and genders.

Pharmacology - Philosophy - 17.02.2020

The ’nocebo’ effect: how informed consent can cause unnecessary harm in trials
Research published today in the  Journal of Medical Ethics  found that the way informed consent is currently taken causes unnecessary 'nocebo' harms. The requirement of informed consent means that it is an ethical requirement to warn patients about risks of taking part in clinical trials. But recent research shows that the way in which patients are told about these risks can actually cause harm.

Health - Philosophy - 11.02.2020

The Bioethics and Law Observatory publishes a report on the assessment of research projects on health with emerging technologies and personal data
Recerca The interests of science, technology and society should not prevail over those of the individual. Guaranteeing this principle is one of the main tasks in the research ethics committees (CER), interdisciplinary collegiate bodies set by the law which analyse the scientific validity of research studies and its social value, and which study the rights and interests at stake.

Philosophy - 12.11.2019

When do children begin to recognize hypocrisy?
Practice what you preach. Suit your actions to your words. Walk the talk. Hypocrisy is ingrained as a moral failing for most adults, but when do children learn to make the same distinction? According to a new study from University of Chicago psychologists, the shift seems to happen early in elementary school.

Pharmacology - Philosophy - 06.11.2019

In Hunting for Cures, Ethics Can Strengthen Clinical Trials
Clinical trials provide the cornerstone for evaluating the safety and efficacy of new drugs and therapies to treat disease. While trials are designed to follow established ethical and regulatory requirements, Alex John London , the Clara L. West Professor of Ethics and Philosophy at Carnegie Mellon University, said he believes there is room for improvement.

Law - Philosophy - 05.11.2019

Lawyers asked to advise on unethical issues
Nearly half (45%) of in-house lawyers have been asked to advise on an action with debatable ethics, according to research by UCL. The research, published in a new report ' Which way is the wind blowing? Understanding the moral compass of in-house legal counsel' also found that 39% of in-house lawyers had been asked to advise on something which was potentially illegal.

Health - Philosophy - 06.05.2019

Security cameras in nursing homes aim to protect the vulnerable but present ethical dilemmas
For many people who care for aging parents, one solution is a safe, responsible nursing home. But an increasingly common means of ensuring that safety - security cameras installed by relatives - may do more harm than good, says Clara Berridge , an assistant professor of social work at the University of Washington.

Philosophy - 21.01.2019

Conforming to the beauty ideal to look younger, thinner, firmer and smoother becomes the norm - research finds
Beauty practices and standards are higher than ever with the pressure to achieve the 'perfect' body now becoming a moral imperative, suggests research published by the University of Birmingham. Professor Heather Widdows , University of Birmingham argues in her new book Perfect Me: Beauty as an Ethical Ideal , published by Princeton University Press, that beauty ideals are becoming shared ethical ideals by which we judge ourselves and others as 'good' or 'bad'.

Philosophy - Physics - 21.11.2018

One of Universe’s secret ingredients for life
A new study led by ANU has investigated the nature of a cosmic phenomenon that slows down star formation, which helps to ensure the Universe is a place where life can emerge. Lead researcher Dr Roland Crocker from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics said the research team studied a particular way stars provide a counter-pressure to gravity that slows down the star-formation process.

Philosophy - Earth Sciences - 21.11.2018

New Study Raises Questions About Salts Near Seasonally Darkening Streaks on Mars
A data-processing artifact may be responsible for evidence cited in a 2015 report that cold salty waters are responsible for forming seasonally dark streaks on the surface of Mars, according to a new study from Caltech.

Philosophy - 24.10.2018

How should autonomous vehicles be programmed?
Massive global survey reveals ethics preferences and regional differences. A massive new survey developed by MIT researchers reveals some distinct global preferences concerning the ethics of autonomous vehicles, as well as some regional variations in those preferences.

Health - Philosophy - 22.08.2018

New ethical framework released for global health research
The author of a new ethical framework for global health research aims to support researchers and their partners to better engage disadvantaged and marginalised communities when setting research priorities. University of Melbourne School of Population and Global Health ethics researcher Dr Bridget Pratt also wants research funders to ensure their grants programs encourage and support meaningful community engagement.

Philosophy - Psychology - 09.08.2018

When moral outrage goes viral, it can come across as bullying, Stanford study finds
Stanford psychologists find that when online comments pile up against an individual's questionable behavior, people are more likely to see it as bullying and start to feel sympathy for the offender. Stanford psychologists find that while individual comments against offensive behavior on social media are seen as admirable, when comments multiply they may lead to greater sympathy for the offender.