Research ethics in an era of high-stakes technologies

Overview

A Tech & Tonic session on the role of research ethics in this dawning era of unprecedented technological power

What does it mean to do responsible research when today's technologies can alter our bodies, our brains, and the planet?

Biotechnology can already design new pathogens that could trigger global pandemics - or create the antibodies that might prevent them. Neurotechnology is moving quickly from research labs into everyday products, raising the question of who gets to own our thoughts and identities. And the possibility that even a single country or actor could unilaterally carry out a climate intervention is becoming more real, despite our limited understanding of the consequences.

In a world like this, can research ethics guide the emergence of high-stakes technologies before they leave the lab? How can research guardrails keep up with evolving uncertainties and difficult trade-offs? What kinds of research governance have worked (or failed) to inform…