NEW YORK, Sept. 17 (AScribe Newswire) -- Imagine taking a pill to make you smarter, or a drug that enhances your memory. Imagine mind-altering drugs imposed upon criminals, averting their tendencies to commit violence. Once a dream of science fiction, advances in neuroscience are now making it possible for cognitive enhancement to become as ordinary as a cup of coffee. But could enhancement drugs be dangerous? How might their use impact society? What are the ethical, moral and legal dilemmas surrounding the development and distribution of cognitive enhancing drugs?

Read what leading figures in the fields of neuroscience, bioethics, health policy, and education have to say on these controversial issues at one of the most comprehensive resources on neuroethics, now available online.

Based on the New York Academy of Sciences' groundbreaking June 2003 workshop, Neuroethical Challenges in Cognitive Enhancement and Learning, co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the Mushett Family Foundation, this eBriefing site offers a wealth of materials about the event, as well as an impressive collection of background material on what we know about emerging cognitive enhancement technology and pharmacology, as well as accompanying moral, social and policy considerations.

       The web site includes:

       - Conference overview, including goals, background information and research agenda

       - Meeting report and highlights of presentations and discussion

       - Speakers' bios and slides

       - Full-text (PDF) offerings of key review and seminal research articles

       - Dozens of recommended references linked to PubMed, books, and web sites.

       - Open Questions pointing to future research needs

       This eBriefing is the latest in a series of online presentations created by the Academy in its effort to present cutting-edge research about issues of concern to scientists, policymakers and the general public.

       Founded in 1817, the New York Academy of Science is an independent nonprofit organization of more than 23,000 members worldwide dedicated to serving science, technology, and society
 

See Also:

CCLE Neuroethics Project