TY - BOOK AU - Bradley,James T. TI - Brutes or angels: human possibility in the age of biotechnology SN - 9780817386580 AV - QH442 .B788 2013 PY - 2013/// CY - Tuscaloosa PB - The University of Alabama Press KW - Human Genome Project KW - Moral and ethical aspects KW - Genetic engineering KW - Bioengineering KW - Biotechnology KW - Human genome KW - Cells KW - Aging KW - Human genetics KW - Variation KW - Stem cells KW - Synthetic biology KW - Humans KW - Genetic Engineering KW - Genome, Human KW - Cellular Senescence KW - Ethics, Research KW - Genetic Variation KW - Reproduction KW - genetics KW - Stem Cells KW - Synthetic Biology KW - Electronic Books N1 - 2; Cells and molecules : the unity of life --; Stem cells : embryos, therapeutic cloning, and personhood --; Embryo selection : preimplantation genetic diagnosis --; The human genome project: spin-offs and fallout --; Human diversity, genes, and medicine : richness and dangers --; Genetic enhancement : humankind healing and redesigning itself --; Human reproductive cloning : sameness, uniqueness, and personal identity --; Age retardation : chasing immortality for better or worse --; The mind: neuroenhancement and neuroethics --; Synthetic biology: from cocreator to creator; 2; b N2 - "With stem cell research, Dolly the cloned sheep, in vitro fertilization, age retardation, and pharmaceutical mind enhancement, humankind is now faced with decisions that it has never before had to consider. The thoughtfulness, or lack of it, that we bring to those decisions will largely determine the future character of the living world. Brutes or Angels will facilitate informed choice making about the personal use of biotechnologies and the formulation of public policies governing their development and use. Ten biotechnologies that impact humans are considered: stem cell research, embryo selection, human genomics, gene therapies, human reproductive cloning, age retardation, cognition enhancement, the engineering of nonhuman organisms, nanobiology, and synthetic biology. With deft and assured use of metaphors, analogies, diagrams, and photographs, James T. Bradley introduces important biological principles and the basic procedures used in biotechnology. Various ethical issues--personhood, personal identity, privacy, ethnic discrimination, distributive justice, authenticity and human nature, and the significance of mortality in the human life cycle--are presented in a clear and unbiased manner. Personal reflection and group dialogue are encouraged by questions at the end of each chapter, making this book not only a general guide to better informed and nuanced thinking on these complex and challenging topics but also an appropriate text for bioethics courses in university science departments and for adult education classes"--Publisher's description UR - https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk&AN=585084&site=eds-live&custid=s3260518 ER -