Berkeley Society for Bioethics

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Upcoming Events

Professor Ignacio Chapela
Thursday, April 1st, 4-6 p.m., 258 Dwinelle

We are very honored to present as our guest speaker Prof. Ignacio Chapela, renowned ecologist, who is in the midst of some very controversial issues. Prof. Chapela was involved in research that found genetically engineered DNA in native corn in Mexico (where it was illegal to plant GMOs), which received a huge uproar from the biotech community. He has also been an outspoken critic of relations between the biotech industry and the university. Recently, he was denied tenure at Berkeley, at the facts surrounding the case are quite sticky. Prof. Chapela has only two more months here at Cal, so this is the time to come and hear and debate his story, which is controversial on many levels and lies at the heart of bioethics.

Refreshments will be served!

Past Events

BSB is assisting Genetic Engineering Action Network in sponsoring the upcoming 2004 National GEAN Conference to be held at U.C. Berkeley on March 12th-14th.

more info...

There will be a student caucus on March 14 at 1 p.m. at GPB (exact location will be posted in the vicinity), concerning the University's ties to the biotech industry. Professor Ignacio Chapela, who is an outspoken critic of such ties and who published controversial research exposing the contamination of Mexican maize with material from genetically engineered corn, and was subsequently denied tenure at Berkeley, will be present. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in this highly relevant panel. Although the caucus will be a part of the Genetic Engineering Action Network weekend long conference, if you are unable to attend the entire conference you are welcome to come to the caucus independently and free of charge.

Dr. Sean O'Nuallain on:
"Ethical implications of arguments about non-biological consciousness"
Friday, December 5th, 3-5 p.m., 5330 Tolman Hall

Few of the many currently competing theories about consciousness rule out the possibility of non-biological consciousness. The first part of this talk will focus on these theories and their potential ethical implications, if verified. Among others, we will look at the higher-order thought model, the triangular circuit, dual aspect theory and finally - consciousness explained! - global workspace.

The second part will outline a view of consciousness that embeds it firmly in biological and social process, ruling out the absurdities of much current theory. It will be argued that a complete re-orientation along these lines is necessary for the cognitive sciences in general.

Sean O Nuallain holds an M.Sc. in Psychology from University College, Dublin (UCD), Ireland and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. He holds a visiting scholars' position at Stanford and directs the independent non-profit Nous Research.

He is the author of a book on the foundations of Cognitive Science: "The Search for Mind" (Ablex, 1995; 2nd ed Intellect, 2002; Third edition Intellect, 2003) and co-editor of "Two Sciences of Mind" (with Paul McKevitt and Eoghan Mac Aogain (Benjamins, 1997); editor of "Spatial Cognition"; co-editor of "Language, Vision, and Music" (Benjamins, 2002) and of "Mind in Interaction" (Benjamins, in preparation). His "Being Human: the Search for Order" (Intellect, 2002) sold out its first print-run immediately and has being re-issued as a paperback, with the second edition due in early 2004.

He currently works the French jazz circuit as a guitarist with his partner Melanie O’Reilly (see www.mistletoemusic.com).

Join us at the Bear's Lair Pub on Friday, November 14th, 3 p.m. for a continuation of last week's discussion with Professor Strohman.

Professor Richard Strohman on:
"The Complexity of Bioethics and the System of Systems"
Friday, November 7th, 3-5 p.m., 160 Dwinelle

Writings by Richard Strohman:

The Complexity of Bioethics
Review of Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry