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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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? 

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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 

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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.

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In Episode 8, Sinead and James interview CBmE Doctoral Candidate Marcus Teo on his PhD analysing the ethics of having children (or not). Marcus answers questions about the antinatalist movement, his unique approach, and the difference between a life worth continuing from a life worth starting. Marcus asks us to consider whether we can truly ensure a child's life will contain more good than bad, and how we deal with the uncertainty of future planning.

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In Episode #7, Dr. Neo Han Yee (Senior Consultant and Head of the Department of Palliative Medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital) discusses his experience, learnings, and philosophies on palliative care and end-of-life practices. Han Yee answers questions about the meaning of death and life, whether suffering is valuable, the importance of intentionality in palliative care, and how medicine ought to be better prepared to provide palliative care across the board. 

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Episode #6 explores with Dr. Kathryn Muysken (Research Fellow, Centre for Biomedical Ethics) the ethics of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Kathryn shares her expertise on what counts as TCM, the importance and humanity of TCM as distinct from Western medicine, whether the inexplicability of TCM is ethically problematic for patient autonomy and consent, and the vulnerability of humans whilst eating mala hotpot. 

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