Issues Magazine 108
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An overview of what's in this edition of Issues. |
As has been the case since clay was cutting-edge technology, making representations of life helps us to orient ourselves in an otherwise bewildering universe. |
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Health risks for premature babies can persist well beyond childhood. Cell-based therapies may be the answer to serious lung complications in later life.
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In vitro fertilisation has helped many couples overcome fertility issues but its success rate is much lower than many people realise. |
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A proposed law debated in the New South Wales parliament last year, which aims to recognise the foetus as a person, sparked concerns about encroachments on women’s reproductive rights. But similar laws in other states haven’t had that effect, and acknowledging the legal status of foetuses may, in fact, spark a more nuanced conversation about abortion. |
A study has called into question the belief that higher rates of medical intervention during childbirth in private hospitals is leading to better outcomes. |
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Increasing longevity is one of the benefits of a modern age, but with it comes the responsibility to properly care for our ageing citizens. |
When a patient is declared brain dead, what options are available for family members? Who decides his or her fate?
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Physician-assisted dying legislation seems inevitable. We all need to try to make it as safe as possible. |
More land for cemeteries and more sustainable burial practices will help address Australia’s burial space shortage. |
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We are among the first humans to be regularly living and working with robots. What do we expect from our new robot companions? |
Despite its importance, organ and tissue donation is not often discussed. DonateLife’s school resources are moving the conversation into the classroom. |
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Empowering doctors to kill can have incalculable consequences. It is definitely worth debating. |
Reprogramming the software of life takes genomics and bioengineering into a new dimension, and it incites both fascination and concern. |
