Send us a text

Why do people judge getting Traditional Chinese Medicine as pointless, or even as bad? Is your grief related to your lungs? In this episode, Dr. Michael Stanley-Baker from Nanyang Technological University discusses the history and ethics of Asian medical practices with Kathryn and James. Michael talks about the value of meaning for patients in understanding the role of medicine, whether medical care is really just a relative practic, and if the only benefit is merely placebo, is it really ethical to sell it to someone? 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

In this episode, Kat and James interview world famous David Benatar on his controversial work, 'The Second Sexism', a book that argues that we need to understand how men are also, and uniquely, discriminated against, including conscription and men's mental health. Some people have said David is just anti-feminist, but we get to the bottom of it, and Kat and David bond over their shared hatred of karaoke. 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

Should children be able to sue their birth parent? Is not being genetically related to your parents really that bad? And is every child always a blessing? In this episode, Sreenivasan Narayanan and Sathya Narayanan from Sreenivasan Chambers LLC talk about what should happen when children are conceived because someone was negligent, and how this has played out in Singapore’s courts. 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

Is ethics really just mob rule? Could ethics really be solved with asking millions of people what they think is right? Should an automated car get to decide who lives and who dies? In this episode, Dr. Edmond Awad from the Uehiro Oxford Institute and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities at Oxford University to talk about morals and machines, moral machines, and what people's preferences really are about the trolley problem. 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

Should religious views be a part of bioethics debates? Should doctors be able to conscientiously object on religious grounds to abortion or assisted dying? And would excluding religious views be discriminatory or sometimes okay? In Episode #5, Dr. Anantharaman Muralidharan from the Centre for Biomedical Ethics discusses his research on religious bioethics, how we can distinguish religious from moral views, and the gods of philosophy. 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

What is Daoism? What is to be in harmony with Dao? Is it just to roll with the punches or go with the flow? How can doctors use Daoism to better help their patients live with chronic illnesses? Is Daoism just jazz or does James just love scatting? Dr. Alexa Nord-Bronzyk from the Centre for Biomedical Ethics at NUS talks about her research on ancient Chinese philosophy and its relationship with bioethics. 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

What, if any, is the role of the masses in deciding who gets which kidney? Why should the public be involved in these ethical dilemmas? Should the public get to decide whether bioethics researchers keep their jobs? In episode #3, Professor Lucy Frith (Centre for Social Ethics & Policy, University of Manchester) answers these questions with Sinead and James the role of the public in bioethics.

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

In episode 2, and series first, James and Sinead banter their way through the ethics of human genetic enhancement. Many people think of this as designer babies, but whether we should genetically modify people requires us to ask deeper questions: what is it to live a good life? Is wanting a better life for your child always a good reason to change your child? Where is the line between wanting a better life for someone, and trying to control too much? Is it fair to others to become a superhuman? What karaoke song is best? 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

In the first episode of 2025, Julian and Sinead interview Professor Peter Singer on his life's work and controversial ideas in bioethics and ethics more broadly. Peter discusses his favourite karaoke song, his legacy as a philosopher, utilitarianism, what morality requires of us, and how is views have changed over time. Peter discusses various topics including euthanasia, animal ethics, altruistic organ donation, and human enhancement. 

Peter has his own podcast, Lives Well Lived, which can be found here: https://www.petersinger.info/podcast 

Remember people, be savvy!

Send us a text

On this episode of CBmE, Sinead and James interview Associate Professor Saumya Shekhar Jamuar (Senior Consultant in the Genetics Service at KK Women's Children Hospital & Director of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine). Saumya answer questions about what precision medicine is, whether you should use smart watches to track your health, sharing genomics data in Chinese New Year,  Saumya's favourite gene (hint, not boot leg), and an exciting carrier screening test funded by Temasek Foundation, designed to help couples make informed choices in family planning.

Remember people, be savvy!