Bioethics futures: tell us a story

This week we are launching the 2020 update of our famous infographic, mapping and outlining various issues that loom on or around the horizon across the five areas or domains into which we have organised the topics.

We got a great response when we first published it, one year ago, with a number of people giving us some good ideas for its format and content. (Not forgetting the song entries, of course.)

As we launch the new version, we’d like to hear from you again, in three ways: tell us what you think of it; tell us of any new topics that we should include; and tell us a story.

Regarding topics to be included, we’re looking for issues that fit our selection criteria:

• That they involve or relate to new developments in biological or medical research;
• That they are matters of public or policy concern;
• That they raise new ethical issues, or challenge existing norms; and
• That the Council can make a distinctive contribution, having a timely impact.

Some topics are included for the sake of completeness (e.g. assisted dying), and might tangentially be addressed in other projects, but are unlikely to be the topic of specific consideration unless we see new research developments. In any event, let us know of anything that you think will be key challenges in the coming years.

We’d love to hear your short stories – pick one topic from each of the five domains, and put them together in piece of fiction of around 500 words. Post them into the comments box below, and we’ll think of how we might reward our favourite entries.

Here’s one to start us off – Lori’s Choice.

Lori’s choice

“Hi Lori. You have an email from The Repro Clinic. I think it’s urgent.”

The disembodied voice startled Lori out of one of her few moments of calm. “OK, Max,” she said, “remind me in 20 minutes.”

“Will do, Lori.”

Lori finished slicing the potatoes, put down her knife, raised her head and actively sighed. She felt that she should finish preparing dinner before she looked up her results from the clinic, otherwise it wouldn’t get done at all. She felt irritated with Max for having disturbed her now. Max worked out of a chip implanted against Lori’s skull just behind her left ear. It had only been in place for two weeks, and still Lori couldn’t work out whether she heard Max’s voice, or whether she just thought it. She also wished she had paid extra for the emotional intelligence plug-in. Max needed it.

She set the meat printer at ‘ground beef, medium fat, 350g’, and switched it on. Low fat is all very well, but not if you want a decent moussaka. That would take ten minutes. Ten minutes of peak anxiety.

“Hey, Max. Call Kerry.”

“Hi Lori, all OK?” It was Kerry.

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Max tells me I have an email just arrived from the clinic.”

“So what does it say? How many eggs are good to go?”

“Well I don’t know yet, I haven’t read it. I just wanted to talk around it again.”

“Lori, we’ve been around this plenty. Keep it simple – take the best eggs, get the best embryos, choose the best profiles, bingo! We got the best kids.”

“Well, I know, that’s the routine, but… whether we should choose at all. Whether we should do it at all. I’m not young.”

“Lori – we’ll only be 80 when the kids get to 18. Just keep taking the Telomerics. Don’t follow your parents’ route.”

“Oh, don’t start that again, Kerry. They felt the drugs were still experimental. The trials weren’t even licensed – all that people-powered so-called research. It’s all very well if you’ve got the money. Anyway, they chose a natural life course. That’s what they wanted, and it’s not for you or anyone to say they were wrong.”

“Well, I know what I’m doing, and it certainly doesn’t involve stopping at double figures. This is the new natural. Listen, let’s just get on with it. These are your last eggs, so let’s use them well.”

Lori wanted to hang up, but momentarily she forgot how. She looked at her hand as if to switch off her phone. She hadn’t used one in over five years, but she still missed it. She longed for simplicity. She wanted fewer choices.

“I’ll talk to you later, Kerry.” Her voice was flat. “Max, switch off and sleep.”

“OK Lori, talk to you soon.” Max’s voice was full of fake bonhomie. I’ll download the plug-in this evening, she thought.

Lori took the meat from the printer, layered it in the dish and set the oven to 40 minutes.

She looked up her email account, and opened the message from the Repro Clinic.

The key line was simple and unadorned. “Number of eggs suitable for proceeding to fertilisation: one.”

Lori smiled grimly to herself. “Well, I wanted fewer choices.”