Bio

Do we own our bodies? Do isolated gene sequences constitute "inventions" that warrant patent protection? What about cloned organisms, or new life-forms engineered from preexisting tissue? Do scientists have the right to claim individual patents on and make profits from the elements of life? How does the profit motive affect our attitudes toward the value of life? Will patent protection foster or hinder scientific cooperation and research into diseases? In short, who owns life? Arthur Caplan is the director of the Center for Bioethics, chief of the Division of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, and the author or editor of numerous books, including THE ETHICS OF ORGAN TRANSPLANTS, with Daniel Coelho.

Past Shows

Engineering our Future

Roses that won't wilt for years. It's going to be possible with the latest in genetic plant engineering. But, "ultimately, what about us?" bioethicist Art Caplan posed on Monday night's show. What if we can make humans that won't wilt? Caplan said that... more >>
Host: George Noory