Ronald Sandler Professor of Philosophy; Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion; and Director of the Ethics Institute r.sandler@neu.edu 617.373.3619 Expertise environmental ethics, ethics and emerging technologies: including nanotechnology and biotechnology/synthetic genomics, food ethics, spinoza Ronald Sandler in the Press AFP US company says it has brought dire wolves back from extinction Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy and ethics at Northeastern University, said he worries this technique might lead to “moral distraction” away from the causes of animals going extinct, like climate change and habitat loss. Popular Science Is de-extinction only a pipette dream? This startup has a big, expensive plan to find out. “Having mammoths isn’t going to solve any of those problems,” says Ronald Sandler, director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University. Sierra Magazine The Trouble With Algorithmic Ethics Ronald Sandler, an environmental philosopher at Northeastern University, describes such calculations as “epistemic arrogance.” BBC Science Focus There are two northern white rhinos left, both females. Here’s how science hopes to save them from extinction “It’s an interesting argument,” says ethicist Prof Ronald Sandler from Northeastern University, Boston. Wired Magazine Why Bother Bringing Back the Dodo? The flow of resources into this sector may change the sorts of conservation practices people engage in, says Ronald Sandler, professor of philosophy and director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University in Boston. This company is using gene editing to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction Commenting generally, and not on the specific thylacine case, Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy and director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University who focuses on environmental ethics, says he’s not against de-extinction, but emphasizes the importance of considering the most effective ways of tackling conservation challenges. Trojan trout: could turning an invasive fish into a ‘super-male’ save a native species? Chemically altering an organism in pursuit of a conservation goal “is not a radical departure from the kinds of things that conservationists are generally trying to do”, says Ron Sandler, a professor of philosophy at Northeastern University who specialises in bioethics. And it’s much less radical than “assisted evolution”, where novel genes are inserted to […] Forbes ‘The Algorithm Made Me Do It’: Artificial Intelligence Ethics Is Still On Shaky Ground The report’s authors, Ronald Sandler and John Basl, both with Northeastern University’s philosophy department, and Steven Tiell of Accenture, state that a well-organized data ethics capacity can help organizations manage risks and liabilities associated with such data misuse and negligence. How to Build an AI Ethics Committee The road map, set to be released Friday by consulting firm Accenture PLC and the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University, says ethics committees are well-suited for convening experts and developing standards used in making decisions on complex ethical questions. The report offers guidance on how to assemble one, including the key questions that need to […] Why bringing back extinct species may not help conservation efforts Ultimately, says Ronald Sandler, director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University, analyzing the pros and cons of de-extinction varies from species to species. When framing a cost-benefit analysis in terms of conservation, he tells the Monitor in a phone interview, “it’s almost never going to be the case that the benefits favor engaging in […] Ronald Sandler for Northeastern Global News Cloned black-footed ferret birth sparks ethical debate. Why that is a big step — but not a substitute — for conservation Cloned black-footed ferret birth sparks ethical debate. Why that is a big step — but not a substitute — for conservation For the first time, an endangered black-footed ferret that was cloned from cryogenically-preserved tissue has given birth to two kits. 14th annual Academic Honors Convocation recognizes Northeastern students and faculty for their scholarship, research, leadership and innovation 14th annual Academic Honors Convocation recognizes Northeastern students and faculty for their scholarship, research, leadership and innovation The event recognized members of the Northeastern community for their scholarship, research, leadership and innovation. Is it ethical to bioengineer plants and animals to stop or reverse extinction? Questions raised during 60th annual Klein Lecture Is it ethical to bioengineer plants and animals to stop or reverse extinction? Questions raised during 60th annual Klein Lecture Philosophy professor Ronald Sandler's lecture explored ethical and philosophical issues of using bioengineering in conservation. Is facial recognition identifying you? Are there ‘dog whistles’ in ChatGPT? Ethics in artificial intelligence gets unpacked Is facial recognition identifying you? Are there ‘dog whistles’ in ChatGPT? Ethics in artificial intelligence gets unpacked Graduate students gain deeper insights into the moral considerations of AI in summer program put on by Northeastern Ethics Institute. Uta Poiger, dean of Northeastern’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities, did a Q&A with News@Northeastern Uta Poiger, dean of Northeastern’s College of Social Sciences and Humanities, did a Q&A with News@Northeastern Northeastern is leading the way in the type of learning and knowledge that separates humans from machines. Uta Poiger, dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, sat down with News@Northeastern to discuss her vision for integrating the liberal arts and new digital proficiencies. CRISPR has been used to create genetically modified babies. Why are people so upset about it? CRISPR has been used to create genetically modified babies. Why are people so upset about it? The Chinese researcher who announced that he has created the first genetically edited human infants has clearly violated scientific and ethical norms, said Northeastern ethicist Ronald Sandler. “This is a pretty clear case of the unethical use of a powerful new technology,” he said. Would Abraham Lincoln have voted for Trump or Clinton? Would Abraham Lincoln have voted for Trump or Clinton? To ease the tension of Election Day, we asked seven faculty members to participate a quirky thought experiment that challenged each of them to consider how one well known but long dead person in their respective fields would have voted in the 2016 presidential election. The responses were insightful, sobering, and occasionally hilarious. How climate talks can be more successful How climate talks can be more successful New research from Northeastern University philosophy professors suggests that global climate negotiations would be more successful if countries worked together outside of global bargaining venues. What do human research subjects have the right to know? What do human research subjects have the right to know? An interdisciplinary group of researchers from around the world converged at Northeastern last week to grapple with the ethics of informed consent when using humans as their subjects. 3Qs: The ethics of species ‘de-extinction’ 3Qs: The ethics of species ‘de-extinction’ With the ability to clone animals from their genetic material, bringing back extinct species is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But is it ethical? We asked philosophy professor Ronald Sandler.
AFP US company says it has brought dire wolves back from extinction Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy and ethics at Northeastern University, said he worries this technique might lead to “moral distraction” away from the causes of animals going extinct, like climate change and habitat loss.
Popular Science Is de-extinction only a pipette dream? This startup has a big, expensive plan to find out. “Having mammoths isn’t going to solve any of those problems,” says Ronald Sandler, director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University.
Sierra Magazine The Trouble With Algorithmic Ethics Ronald Sandler, an environmental philosopher at Northeastern University, describes such calculations as “epistemic arrogance.”
BBC Science Focus There are two northern white rhinos left, both females. Here’s how science hopes to save them from extinction “It’s an interesting argument,” says ethicist Prof Ronald Sandler from Northeastern University, Boston.
Wired Magazine Why Bother Bringing Back the Dodo? The flow of resources into this sector may change the sorts of conservation practices people engage in, says Ronald Sandler, professor of philosophy and director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University in Boston.
This company is using gene editing to bring the Tasmanian tiger back from extinction Commenting generally, and not on the specific thylacine case, Ronald Sandler, a professor of philosophy and director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University who focuses on environmental ethics, says he’s not against de-extinction, but emphasizes the importance of considering the most effective ways of tackling conservation challenges.
Trojan trout: could turning an invasive fish into a ‘super-male’ save a native species? Chemically altering an organism in pursuit of a conservation goal “is not a radical departure from the kinds of things that conservationists are generally trying to do”, says Ron Sandler, a professor of philosophy at Northeastern University who specialises in bioethics. And it’s much less radical than “assisted evolution”, where novel genes are inserted to […]
Forbes ‘The Algorithm Made Me Do It’: Artificial Intelligence Ethics Is Still On Shaky Ground The report’s authors, Ronald Sandler and John Basl, both with Northeastern University’s philosophy department, and Steven Tiell of Accenture, state that a well-organized data ethics capacity can help organizations manage risks and liabilities associated with such data misuse and negligence.
How to Build an AI Ethics Committee The road map, set to be released Friday by consulting firm Accenture PLC and the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University, says ethics committees are well-suited for convening experts and developing standards used in making decisions on complex ethical questions. The report offers guidance on how to assemble one, including the key questions that need to […]
Why bringing back extinct species may not help conservation efforts Ultimately, says Ronald Sandler, director of the Ethics Institute at Northeastern University, analyzing the pros and cons of de-extinction varies from species to species. When framing a cost-benefit analysis in terms of conservation, he tells the Monitor in a phone interview, “it’s almost never going to be the case that the benefits favor engaging in […]