Mind Matters Natural and Artificial Intelligence News and Analysis

TagJonathan Wells

phrenology-head-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Phrenology Head
Type
post
Author
Jonathan Bartlett
Date
May 24, 2021
Categorized
Natural Intelligence, Science
Tagged
, , , , ,

Phrenology: The Pseudoscience That Just Won’t Give Up

Are we arguing about this AGAIN?
Jonathan Bartlett
May 24, 2021
4
Natural Intelligence, Science

Phrenology is the detailed study of cranial sizes and shapes as a proxy for brain size and shape. Practitioners believed themselves to be able to use this information as an indicator of both the character and the mental abilities of the person whose brain was being investigated. Phrenology has been widely discredited, and is thought by many today to be pseudoscience. However, the vestiges of phrenology remain with us today, and are still used to justify various common beliefs and inferences, even by otherwise very educated people. The most common way that this happens is the use of brain size in the evaluation of the character of human evolution. It is often supposed by researchers that brain size can be Read More ›

newborn-premature-baby-in-the-nicu-intensive-care-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Newborn premature baby in the NICU intensive care
Type
post
Author
News
Date
February 12, 2021
Categorized
Ethics, Medicine and Health
Tagged
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Do Babies Really Feel Pain Before They Are Self-Aware?

Michael Egnor discusses the fact that the thalamus, deep in the brain, creates pain. The cortex moderates it. Thus, juveniles may suffer more
News
February 12, 2021
6
Ethics, Medicine and Health

In last week’s podcast, “Jonathan Wells on Why a Baby Should Live,” neurosurgeon Michael Egnor interviewed molecular and cell biologist Jonathan Wells on that topic, which he discussed in articles at Evolution News and Science Today: (here and here). It’s becoming a hot topic now that a bill to protect babies born alive from abortions from being killed or left to die was recently defeated in the Senate. At the heart of the issue is the conflict between those who believe that all human beings have a right to life and those who believe that children do not have a right to live before they are self-aware. In this segment, Egnor and Wells ask another question: whether a child can Read More ›

cute-baby-lying-on-tummy-in-parents-bed-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Cute Baby Lying On Tummy In Parent's Bed
Type
post
Author
News
Date
February 11, 2021
Categorized
Ethics, Medicine and Health
Tagged
, , , , , , ,

Is There Bias in Terms of Which Babies Are Aborted?

Abortion is made easy for Black American women, with abortion clinics strategically located within easy walking distance
News
February 11, 2021
6
Ethics, Medicine and Health

In last week’s podcast, “Jonathan Wells on Why a Baby Should Live,” neurosurgeon Michael Egnor interviewed molecular and cell biologist Jonathan Wells on that topic, which he discussed in articles at Evolution News and Science Today: (here and here). It’s becoming a hot topic now that a bill to protect babies born alive from abortions from being killed or left to die was recently defeated in the Senate. At the heart of the issue is the conflict between those who believe that all human beings have a right to life and those who believe that children do not have a right to live before they are self-aware. In this segment, Egnor and Wells ask, why are Black American abortion rates Read More ›

in-vitro-image-of-a-human-fetus-in-the-womb-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
In vitro image of a human fetus in the womb
Type
post
Author
News
Date
February 10, 2021
Categorized
Ethics, Medicine and Health
Tagged
, , , , , , , , ,

When Does “Human-ness” Really Begin?

Jonathan Wells notes that issues around “personhood” are now purely semantic, especially when the case is being made that many animals are persons too
News
February 10, 2021
7
Ethics, Medicine and Health

In last week’s podcast, “Jonathan Wells on Why a Baby Should Live,” neurosurgeon Michael Egnor interviewed molecular and cell biologist Jonathan Wells on that topic, which he has discussed in articles at Evolution News and Science Today: (here and here). It’s becoming a hot topic now that a bill to protect babies born alive from abortions from being killed or left to die was recently defeated in the Senate. At the heart of the issue is the conflict between those who believe that all human beings have a right to life and those who believe that children do not have a right to live before they are self-aware. In unpacking the issues, Egnor and Wells turned to the question of Read More ›

newborn-alert-baby-boy-on-mint-green-blanket-stockpack-adobe-stock.jpg
Newborn Alert Baby Boy on Mint Green Blanket
Type
post
Author
News
Date
February 8, 2021
Categorized
Ethics, Philosophy of Mind
Tagged
, , , , , , , , , ,

Do Infants Really Have a Right to Live?

Some argue that children who are not yet self-aware do not have a right to live
News
February 8, 2021
8
Ethics, Philosophy of Mind

In last week’s podcast, “Jonathan Wells on Why a Baby Should Live,” neurosurgeon Michael Egnor interviewed molecular and cell biologist Jonathan Wells on that topic, which he discussed in articles at Evolution News and Science Today: (here and here). It’s becoming a hot topic now that a bill to protect babies born alive from abortions from being killed or left to die was recently defeated in the Senate. There is an academic debate about whether babies, post-birth, have a right to live. Meanwhile, a number of countries are also moving toward child euthanasia, with or without parental consent as well. https://episodes.castos.com/mindmatters/Mind-Matters-120-Jonathan-Wells.mp3 A partial transcript follows. This portion begins at 01:13. Show notes and links follow. Michael Egnor: Where did that Read More ›