Theoretical Neurobiology of Consciousness Applied to Human Cerebral Organoids.

Organoids and specifically human cerebral organoids (HCOs) are one of the most relevant novelties in the field of biomedical research. Grown either from embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cells, HCOs can be used as three-dimensional models, mimicking the developmental process and organization of the developing human brain. Based on that, and despite their current limitations, it cannot be assumed that they will never at any stage of development manifest some rudimentary form of consciousness.

ChatGPT in society: emerging issues.

We review and critically assess several issues arising from the potential -large-scale- implementation or deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) in society. These include security, political, economic, cultural, and educational issues as well as issues concerning social biases, creativity, copyright, and freedom of speech. We argue, without a preconceived pessimism toward these tools, that they may bring about many benefits.

Infosphere, Datafication, and Decision-Making Processes in the AI Era.

A recent interpretation of artificial intelligence (AI) (Floridi 2013, 2022) suggests that the implementation of AI demands the investigation of the binding conditions that make it possible to build and integrate artifacts into our lived world. Such artifacts can successfully interact with the world because our environment has been designed to be compatible with intelligent machines (such as robots). As the use of AI becomes ubiquitous in society, possibly leading to the formation of increasingly intelligent bio-technological unions, there will likely be a coexistence of a plethora of micro-environments wrapped and tailored around humans and basic robots.

Human Brain Organoids: Why There Can Be Moral Concerns If They Grow Up in the Lab and Are Transplanted or Destroyed.

Human brain organoids (HBOs) are three-dimensional biological entities grown in the laboratory in order to recapitulate the structure and functions of the adult human brain. They can be taken to be novel living entities for their specific features and uses. As a contribution to the ongoing discussion on the use of HBOs, the authors identify three sets of reasons for moral concern.

Minding Rights: Mapping Ethical and Legal Foundations of 'Neurorights'.

The rise of neurotechnologies, especially in combination with artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods for brain data analytics, has given rise to concerns around the protection of mental privacy, mental integrity and cognitive liberty - often framed as "neurorights" in ethical, legal, and policy discussions. Several states are now looking at including neurorights into their constitutional legal frameworks, and international institutions and organizations, such as UNESCO and the Council of Europe, are taking an active interest in developing international policy and governance guidelines on this issue. However, in many discussions of neurorights the philosophical assumptions, ethical frames of reference and legal interpretation are either not made explicit or conflict with each other.

Consciousness in a Rotor? Science and Ethics of Potentially Conscious Human Cerebral Organoids.

Human cerebral organoids are three-dimensional biological cultures grown in the laboratory to mimic as closely as possible the cellular composition, structure, and function of the corresponding organ, the brain. For now, cerebral organoids lack blood vessels and other characteristics of the human brain, but are also capable of having coordinated electrical activity. They have been usefully employed for the study of several diseases and the development of the nervous system in unprecedented ways.

A Balance of Rights: The Italian Way to the Abortion Controversy.

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling triggered a global debate about access to abortion and the legislative models governing it.

Strengthening preparedness against global health threats: A paradigm shift based on One Health approaches.

The implementation of preparedness strategies to prevent and mitigate the impact of global health threats poses several challenges. It should promptly identify cross-cutting drivers of pandemic threats, assess context-specific risks, engage multiple stakeholders, and translate complex data from multiple sources into accessible information for action. This requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary and multisectoral effort engaging systems that, most of the time, work in isolation.

Memory Modulation Non-invasive Brain Stimulation: Status, Perspectives, and Ethical Issues.

While research to improve memory or counter decay caused by neurodegenerative diseases has a fairly long history, scientific attempts to erase memories are very recent. The use of non-invasive brain stimulation for memory modulation represents a new and promising application for the treatment of certain disorders [such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)]. However, numerous ethical issues are related to memory intervention.

What if some patients are more "important" than others? A possible framework for Covid-19 and other emergency care situations.

Background: The Covid-19 pandemic caused situations where, in some hospitals, there were more patients in need of urgent treatment in intensive care units (ICU) than were available. In particular, there were not sufficient ventilators or critical care resources for all patients in danger of dying from respiratory failure or other organ failures.

Discussion: As the "first come, first served" criterion was not considered adequate, more nuanced and fairer clinical criteria were proposed to assess whom to treat first.

Crystal Ball Health Policies: A Case Against Preventive Testing For Alzheimer's Disease.

After the recent approval of a new drug for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the first in almost twenty years, it is useful to consider what are the real possibilities to make a preclinical diagnosis of dementia and to treat its symptoms. The scientific community widely agrees that the drugs available today can only slow down the progression of the disease; it, therefore, seems helpful to warn against encouraging the spread of preventive testing. In fact, faced with the prospect of drugs that promise to act in the first stage of Alzheimer's, there might be an incentive to invest in the research on biomarkers and even healthy adults could be encouraged to increasingly resort to such prediction tests.

The "One Health" approach in the face of Covid-19: how radical should it be?

Background: The 2020-2021 coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic is just the latest epidemic event that requires us to rethink and change our understanding of health. Health should no longer be conceived only in relation to human beings, but in unitary terms, as a dimension that connects humans, animals, plants, and the environment (holistic view, One Health). In general, alterations occurring in this articulated chain of life trigger a domino effect.

COVID-19 and Biomedical Experts: When Epistemic Authority is (Probably) Not Enough.

This critical essay evaluates the potential integration of distinct kinds of expertise in policymaking, especially during situations of critical emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This article relies on two case studies: (i) herd immunity (UK) and (ii) restricted access to ventilators for disabled people (USA). These case studies are discussed as examples of experts' recommendations that have not been widely accepted, though they were made within the boundaries of expert epistemic authority.

Knowledge prior to belief: Is extended better than enacted?

In this commentary, we argue that Phillips et al.'s findings can be used to provide new important insights in the debate between externalists' theories of cognition. In particular, we claim that the results presented in this target article may offer us the conceptual palette needed for a sustained defence of an extended account of cognition over an enactive one.

'Consciousnessoids': clues and insights from human cerebral organoids for the study of consciousness.

Human cerebral organoids (HCOs) are an three-dimensional model of early neural development, aimed at modelling and understanding brain development and neurological disorders. In just a few years, there has been a rapid and considerable progress in the attempt to create a brain model capable of showcasing the structure and functions of the human brain. There are still strong limitations to address, including the absence of vascularization that makes it difficult to feed the central layers of organoids.

Advocating for Greater Inclusion of Marginalized and Forgotten Populations in COVID19 Vaccine Rollouts.

Many countries recently approved a number of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. There is therefore growing optimism around the world about their future availability and effectiveness. However, supplies are likely to be limited and restricted to certain categories of individuals, at least initially.

Dealing with Criminal Behavior: the Inaccuracy of the Quarantine Analogy.

Pereboom and Caruso propose the quarantine model as an alternative to existing models of criminal justice. They appeal to the established public health practice of quarantining people, which is believed to be effective and morally justified, to explain why -in criminal justice- it is also morally acceptable to detain wrongdoers, without assuming the existence of a retrospective moral responsibility. Wrongdoers in their model are treated as carriers of dangerous diseases and as such should be preventively detained (or rehabilitated) until they no longer pose a threat to society.

What Should We Do With People Who Cannot or Do Not Want to Be Protected From Neurotechnological Threats?

Neurotechnologies can pose a threat to people's privacy and mental integrity. Hence the proposal of establishing neurorights (Ienca and Andorno, 2017) and technical principles for the implementation of these rights (Lavazza, 2018). However, concepts such as "the extended mind" and what might be called "the post-human objection" can be said to challenge this protection paradigm.