The Nuffield Council on Bioethics, in the UK, is conducting an inquiry into how much information people need to know about their genetic origins.

Mickey Rooney features in a documentary about the dangers of elder abuse.

Is it good to have children? Most people would think so, but there is a range of views amongst utilitarian bioethicists. The latest contribution to this debate comes from a Canadian feminist philosopher, Christine Overall. She published a book in February which is currently making a splash in bioethics circles, “Why Have Children?”

American couples who have pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) done on their embryos are almost never informed of the potential risks of the procedure, a Wellesley College biologist claims in the Journal of Medical Ethics. Without this vital information, says Michelle Lafonte, parents are not capable of giving informed consent.

The Italian government is investigating an IVF clinic in Rome after 94 embryos, 130 eggs and 5 sperm samples were destroyed when its refrigeration system failed. About 40 couples were affected.

Yet another controversial utilitarian proposal has popped up in the March issue of the American Journal of Bioethics. Two bioethicists contend that some parents are morally obligated to use pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to create a healthy baby.

A British doctor may have fathered more than 600 children by using his own sperm in his London fertility clinic. Toronto film-maker Barry Stevens has researched records of women treated by Dr Bertold Wiesner, and found that two-thirds of offspring conceived through the clinic were his children. Estimates of how many children he fathered range from 200 to 1,000.

Octomom, the California single mother who gave birth to octuplets, has had to resort to humiliating ways of making ends meet for her 14 children – all conceived through IVF. Nadya Suleman, who still features in the media three years after she became a household word, has revealed to NBC that she made a big mistake.

The World Health Organization says that dementia could be an even greater challenge than HIV/AIDS in the 21st century. A report released this week by WHO and Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) calls upon governments, policymakers and other stakeholders to make it a global public health priority.

"Saving Face" is a documentary about the tragic cases of Pakistani who have been disfigured by acid attacks. It follows London-based Pakistani plastic surgeon, Dr. Mohammad Jawad, as he tries to help two women. It won the 84th Academy Awards for Best Documentary (Short Subject). It looks terrific.

Another film about sperm donors? Yup, 'fraid so. Somehow Hollywood seems to be tapping into a fertile (sorry) source of stories here. Think about it: fatherhood, motherhood, reconciliation, sex and technology. This genre presses every button except mindless mayhem.

Can patients be pressured into agreeing to "voluntary" euthanasia? An Australian academic says Yes.

China officials plan to end organ harvesting from death-row inmates, in a move to reform an organ donation system which has for many years relied heavily on prisoners.

Roger Scruton puts a blowtorch to neuroscience.

A married couple in the Netherlands tried over and over to conceive, but in their early 30s they discovered that the husband produced no sperm.