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The World Health Organization (WHO) condemns all medically unnecessary female genital cutting (FGC) that is primarily associated with people of color and the Global South, claiming that such FGC violates the human right to bodily integrity regardless of harm-level, degree of medicalization, or consent. However, the WHO does not condemn medically unnecessary FGC that is primarily associated with Western culture, such as elective labiaplasty or genital piercing, even when performed by non-medical practitioners (e.g., body artists) or on adolescent girls. Nor does it campaign against any form of medically unnecessary intersex genital cutting (IGC) or male genital cutting (MGC), including forms that are non-consensual or comparably harmful to some types of FGC. These and other apparent inconsistencies risk undermining the perceived authority of the WHO to pronounce on human rights. This paper considers whether the WHO could justify its selective condemnation of non-Western-associated FGC by appealing to the distinctive role of such practices in upholding patriarchal gender systems and furthering sex-based discrimination against women and girls. The paper argues that such a justification would not succeed. To the contrary, dismantling patriarchal power structures and reducing sex-based discrimination in FGC-practicing societies requires principled opposition to medically unnecessary, non-consensual genital cutting of all vulnerable persons, including insufficiently autonomous children, irrespective of their sex traits or socially assigned gender. This conclusion is based, in part, on an assessment of the overlapping and often mutually reinforcing roles of different types of child genital cutting—FGC, MGC, and IGC—in reproducing oppressive gender systems. These systems, in turn, tend to subordinate women and girls as well as non-dominant males and sexual and gender minorities. The selective efforts of the WHO to eliminate only non-Western-associated FGC exposes the organization to credible accusations of racism and cultural imperialism and paradoxically undermines its own stated goals: namely, securing the long-term interests and equal rights of women and girls in FGC-practicing societies.

Defenders of male circumcision increasingly argue that female 'circumcision' (cutting of the clitoral hood or labia) should be legally allowed in Western liberal democracies even when non-consensual. In his target article, Richard Shweder (2022) gives perhaps the most persuasive articulation of this argument to have so far appeared in the literature. In my own work, I argue that no person should be subjected to medically unnecessary genital cutting of any kind without their own informed consent, regardless of the sex characteristics with which they were born or the religious or cultural background of their parents. Professor Shweder and I agree that Western law and policy on child genital cutting is currently beset with cultural, religious and sex-based double standards. We disagree about what should be done about this. In this commentary, I argue that 'legalising' childhood FGC so as to bring it into line with current treatment of childhood MGC is not an acceptable solution to these problems. Instead, all medically unnecessary genital cutting of non-consenting persons should be opposed on moral and legal grounds and discouraged by all appropriate means.

Sam Harris en su libro El paisaje moral (The Moral Landscape, 2011), sostiene que "la ciencia puede determinar valores humanos". A esto replico que mientras la filosofía moral secular puede por cierto ayudarnos a determinar nuestros valores, la ciencia —tal como se entiende hoy esta palabra en términos generales— desempeña una función accesoria. En la medida en que la ciencia pueda determinar cómo debiéramos comportarnos, sería solo si nos suministrara información empírica, lo que podría integrarse perfectamente en una cadena de razonamiento (moral) deductivo. Las premisas de tal razonamiento, no obstante, en modo alguno pueden derivarse de un método científico: provienen, en cambio, de la filosofía o del sentido común.

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- Notes on Contributors -- Introduction -- Part I What is Sex? Is Sex Good -- 1 What is a Sexual Act? -- 2 Eroticisms in Cross-Cultural Perspective -- 3 The Value of Sex -- 4 Is There a Right to Sex? -- 5 The Concept and Significance of Virginity -- Part II Sexual Orientations -- 6 What is a Sexual Orientation? -- 7 Sexual Orientation, Sexual Desires, and Choice -- 8 Queer and Straight -- 9 Asexuality -- 10 Feminist Heterosexuality -- 11 Heterosexual Male Sexuality: A Positive Vision -- 12 Radical Feminist Analysis of Heterosexuality -- 13 Lesbian Feminism -- Part III Sexual Autonomy and Consent -- 14 Flirting -- 15 Sex and Consent -- 16 Beyond Consent -- 17 Sexual Autonomy, Consent, and Reproductive Control -- 18 Sexual Practices and Relationships Among Young People -- 19 Sex and Disability -- 20 Sexual Consent, Aging, and Dementia -- Part IV Regulating Sexual Relationships -- 21 Monogamy: Government Policy -- 22 Plural Marriage and Equality -- 23 Sex, Marriage, and Race -- 24 The Ethics of Relationship Anarchy -- Part V Pathologizing Sex and Sexuality -- 25 The Eugenic Logic of Sexual Normality -- 26 "Disordering" Sex Through Medicine -- 27 Religion and Sexual Shame -- 28 Homophobia and Conversion 'Therapies' -- Part VI Contested Desires -- 29 The Ethics and Politics of Sexual Preference -- 30 BDSM -- 31 Critiquing Consensual Adult Incest -- 32 Pedophilia -- Part VII Objectification and Commercialized Sex -- 33 Sexual Objectification -- 34 The Civil-Rights Approach to Pornography -- 35 Pornography and the "Sex Wars" -- 36 The Case for Decriminalizing Sex Work -- 37 An Equality Approach to Prostitution -- Part VIII Technology and the Future of Sex -- 38 The Ethics of Matching: Hookup Apps and Online Dating.

AbstractThis paper argues that there exists a collective epistemic state of 'Broad Medical Uncertainty' (BMU) regarding the effectiveness of many medical interventions. We outline the features of BMU, and describe some of the main contributing factors. These include flaws in medical research methodologies, bias in publication practices, financial and other conflicts of interest, and features of how evidence is translated into practice. These result in a significant degree of uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of many medical treatments and unduly optimistic beliefs about the benefit/harm profiles of such treatments. We argue for an ethical presumption in favour of openness regarding BMU as part of a 'Corrective Response'. We then consider some objections to this position (the 'Anti-Corrective Response'), including concerns that public honesty about flaws in medical research could undermine trust in healthcare institutions. We suggest that, as it stands, the Anti-Corrective Response is unconvincing.

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review. ; The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2021.108874 ; The properties of CNT composites are known to suffer changes when exposed to space conditions or simulated space environments. A more in-depth understanding of the magnitude of those changes could help improve the design of systems that contain them, produce more accurate predictions of their performance, or even open the possibility of new applications. In this study, the electrical properties of CNT epoxy composites containing low CNT loadings (less than 1%) were measured in-situ while the specimens were exposed to diverse simulated space conditions. A thermal vacuum chamber was employed to produce the low pressures and temperatures associated with low earth orbit. A solar simulator was used to replicate solar irradiance. A convection oven was used to determine the effects that could only be attributed to temperature variations. The changes in resistivity exhibited by the composite specimens are reported for each scenario along possible mechanisms that could explain the observed behavior. The microstructural and thermogravimetric characterization of the composites for the diverse loadings is also presented. Resistivity reductions of up to 40% were observed by the simultaneous application of high temperatures and low pressures, while the application of simulated sunlight with the concomitant surge in temperature, showed a maximum decrease of 58%. Outgassing and an increase in the number of charge carriers at the higher temperatures promoted by the simulated sunlight treatment, are believed to be responsible for the recorded reductions in resistivity. A qualitative analysis of the resistivity changes noted when the composites are exposed back to atmospheric conditions is included. ; U.S. Government affiliation is unstated in article text.

AbstractAs society increasingly integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into its fabric, AI ethics education in primary schools becomes necessary. Drawing parallels between the integration of foundational subjects such as languages and mathematics and the pressing need for AI literacy, we argue for mandatory, age-appropriate AI education focusing on technical proficiency and ethical implications. Analogous to how sex and drug education prepare youth for real-world challenges and decisions, AI education is crucial for equipping students to navigate an AI-driven future responsibly. Our study delineates the ethical pillars, such as data privacy and unbiased algorithms, essential for students to grasp, and presents a framework for AI literacy integration in elementary schools. What is needed is a comprehensive, dynamic, and evidence-based approach to AI education, to prepare students for an AI-driven future.