
The scientific-industrial complex


The order is rapidly fading
25 May 2012 Amy Gutmann, PhD Chair, The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues 1425 New York Avenue NW Suite C–100 Washington, DC 20005 Re: Comments on the ethical issues raised by the

“And you’re ugly too”
If your doctor orders a genetic test for a single-gene disorder (often one that might be caused by variants in any of several genes), chances are that the gene or genes being tested in you

Open season
I loves me some Soapbox. Thanks to the Nature blogs folks for letting me rant on a favorite theme: As a graduate student, I studied the genetics of Hirschsprung disease, a congenital disorder of the

A conversation with writer and troublemaker Carl Elliott, Part II
Introduction and Part I here. You have criticized your own institution, the University of Minnesota, in print, for being involved in a dubious drug trial in which a patient died. I can imagine that doing

A conversation with writer and troublemaker Carl Elliott, Part I
In 2009 I attended the annual meeting of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. The keynote speaker was Carl Elliott. I knew he was a Professor at the Center for Bioethics at the University

You never call
I think those of us (yes, I’m looking in the mirror) who complain loudly when an article we want to read is trapped behind a pay wall have an obligation to call attention to our

All Atwitter II: Seth Mnookin
Thanks again to the immortal Rebecca Skloot for the tweet chat! I thought I’d do it again by roping in another kick-ass nonfiction writer who’s looking at science and its place in the larger world.

The soft parade
I’m sorry, but transistors will never be this sexy…

You’re a big girl now
The LA Times has a “Point-Counterpoint” on direct-to-consumer genetic tests, where I am cast as Shana Alexander. Or perhaps, Jane the Ignorant Slut. In any event, you know the drill: I don’t think there’s anything