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A tiny biosensor in a patient’s heart signals that he is having a heart attack before he even realizes it. A microchip in a paralyzed patient’s brain allows her to turn lights on and off and send an e-mail — just by thinking about it.
Technologies that once seemed impossible already exist. So what amazing frontier is next? And are we ready for it? That’s the research focus of Keith Bauer, Ph.D., an assistant professor of philosophy who specializes in health care ethics and, in particular, the connection between information technology and health care.
His earlier research on implantable biosensors and microchips led him to study the transhumanism movement and the ethical implications of its mission, which is use technology to expand human capabilities.
“They’re basically advocating that we become post-human through the use of genetic manipulation, the use of nanotechnology, bio-implants,” he says. “They figure they can increase our intelligence, our strength and our ability to adapt in hostile environments. So it raises a host of questions. Is this something we should be doing and, if we do, who gets access to these sorts of technologies? It also raises the question of what does it mean to be human?”
One issue he is studying is whether nanotechnology should be used for therapeutic purposes or enhancement. For example, if your eyes are damaged, should doctors use nanotechnology to simply bring you back to 20/20 vision, or should they also give you night vision?
Bauer believes that therapeutic technology has a legitimate moral use. But the line between therapy and enhancement keeps changing.
“What if eventually you get wide-scale adoption of certain genetic modifications? Say 75 percent of the American population is enhancing their child’s IQ,” Bauer says. “Is that an enhancement anymore or is that just a normal, routine medical procedure?”
Whatever the answer, Bauer is convinced of the need to think about these questions now. “Too often,” he says, “ethics is just an afterthought.”
Life Cycle: From Birth to Death
- Unraveling the mysteries of proteins
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- Understanding the damaged brain
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- The mind-body connection
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- Of humans and cyborgs
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Quick Facts About Marquette
| Identity: | Catholic, Jesuit, private |
| Established: | 1881 |
| Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Undergraduate: | 8,048 |
| Postgraduate: | 3,500 |
| Campus: | Urban, 80 acres |
| Athletics: | 11 NCAA Division I teams (Big East Conference) |
| Colors: | Blue and Gold |
