World Pro-Doping Agency

I happen to think that I have a relatively moderate view about performance enhancement in sport. My initial position is that the doping dilemma is a genuine ethical issue - one which lends itself to no clear resolution, because there are essentially contested concepts at stake. To this extent, I sympathise with many people involved within the anti-doping movement. I listen to their views, I take on board what they say. To this extent, I also do not shout too loud about the value of a pro-doping stance, even though I am characterised predominantly as advocating this view. For one thing, the doping issue is deeply political and, if one aims to do good philosophy, then taking this into account is critical. Debates surrounding any technological, regulatory issue must engage with the practical ethical problems they present. However, at times, I wonder whether I should be more radical and unforgiving about the case to be made on behalf of doping.

Yet another 'pro-doping' op ed piece passed across my desk today and it has provoked me to consider whether there should be some form of organisation of these disparate views. Perhaps we need to get all the 'pro-doping' views/people together to bring about some form of structured intervention. However, if I do this, I worry that this might compromise my integity by clearly aligning myself with one particular kind of conclusion when, as I say, this issue is more complex.

So, my proposal is to establish a World Pro-Doping Agency as a thought experiment. I wonder how many people would sign up. My first task will be to assemble all papers, people and institutions that have raised questions about the anti-doping movement. However, the end goal is one that seeks to present constructive proposals to the difficult problem of doping in sport. (Watch out for publications of mine using this title.)

Andrew Miah

I now feel obliged to blog with this tag in order to secure my rightful place as Google's top hit for Andrew Miah. I cannot even begin to remember when I first started using Andy. I'm not even sure whether it was my idea. Nevertheless, I must have been 5 or 6 years old when I first used it and it remains the name by which most people - except family - use. It is also the name I use for publishing. I have thought about changing my name and since seeing Justice's spelling, I think maybe Mia might be a little more catchy. It might also help people pronounce it properly: Me-ah, not My-ah.

American College of Sports Medicine (30May-3Jun, 2006)

The 42nd Annual meeting of the ACSM takes place in Denver (Colorado) this year. It will be the first ACSM meeting I have attended and I have been invited to be part of a symposium on 'gene doping'. The other panellists include Stephen Roth (Chair, U. of Maryland), Ted Friedmann (WADA), Olivier Rabin (WADA), and Gary Wadler (NYU). It should be an exciting event. 

Human Enhancement Technologies and Human Rights (25-28 May, 2006)

In May this year, the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies conference takes place at Stanford UniversityLaw School under the title indicated above. It is co-sponsored by the Center for Cognitive Liberty and Ethics, the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences and Stanford Program in Ethics and Society. I will talk here about the 'criminalisation of enhancement' re-acting to recent moves within the US and elsewhere to frame enhancement as a social deviant practice that ought to involve criminal action. 

British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (26-27, April 2006)

This month I speak at the spring meeting of BASEM. The title of the event is 'Novel Treatment Approaches in Sports Medicine' (26-27 April, The Belfry, Warwickshire) and I will discuss the related areas of bioethics, science communiation and media studies. Others on the programme include:

Dr Hakan Alfredson on Neovascularisation and its Management

Dr Jacque le Coz on Mesotherapy

Professor Strek on Cryo-Chamber treatment.

The brief for the event is 'to examine the evidence base underpinning some unusual and novel treatment approaches including mesotherapy, actovegan, traumeel, autologous blood injections, hyperbaric oxygen and the current status of stem cell research' The invitation to speak here arose out of a presentation I gave last year for UK Sport. It's great to have a presence on this programme, particularly as it seems to reflect the increasing interest in ethical debates within the biosciences.

Abstract of Presentation

Genetically Modified Athletes?: Bioethics, Science Communication and the Media By Dr Andy Miah, University of Paisley, UK

This paper examines dimensions of ethical debates surrounding novel treatment approaches to sports medicine. It argues that ethical problems must be situated in discussions surrounding science communication, which draw on a critical understanding of media structures. In this context, the paper argues for a ‘public engagement with ethics’ (Miah, 2005a) where this requires consideration of the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of the biosciences and biomedicine.

To explore this thesis, the novel treatment of gene transfer is considered in some depth. The application of gene transfer to elite sports performance has a particularly rich recent history for this purpose. The subject of ‘gene doping’ has generated considerable amounts of debate within ethical, policy and science spheres (Miah, 2004). Moreover, the subject area exists within a recurrent media structure – the prospect of the ‘genetically modified athlete’. To this extent, it is comparable to other major topics in the biomedical sciences, such as human cloning, which similarly has generated recurrent news stories and which also lacks an established evidence base. Questions concerning the ethical issues surrounding novel treatments are of particular relevance given the recent launch of a governmental inquiry into ‘Human Enhancement Technologies in Sport’ (March, 2006). Of particular significance is understanding whether novel treatments can be easily categorised as therapeutic within policy and, if not, what implications this has for their use within elite sport. The paper concludes with some suggestions for informing this inquiring, based on a critique of anti-doping policy (Miah, 2005b).

References

Miah, A. (2004). Genetically Modified Athletes: Biomedical Ethics, Gene Doping and Sport. London and New York, Routledge. Miah, A. (2005a). "Genetics, cyberspace and bioethics: why not a public engagement with ethics?" Public Understanding of Science 14(4): 409-421.

Miah, A. (2005b). "From anti-doping to a 'performance policy': sport technology, being human, and doing ethics." European Journal of Sport Science 5(1): 51-57.

Science and Technology Select Committee (2006, March 1). New Inquiry: Human Enhancement Technologies in Sport. Select Committee for Science and Technology, British Government.

Nobel Conference

The outline from this year's nobel conference is now online:

Medicine: Prescription for Tomorrow The 42nd annual Nobel Conference® October 3-4, 2006

Medical practice has changed significantly over the past 300 years, but it is poised to change even more in the decades to come. Public health has been improved through the knowledge of infectious agents and how to control them, while the development of a host of pharmacological agents has improved the treatment of many diseases. Genetic advances of the past century, coupled with immunology and biotechnology, open new possibilities for diagnosis, treatment, and even prevention of those diseases not amenable to the past treatments; cancer, neurodegeneration, and genetic disorders are all within the scope of the future of medical science intervention. With these new techniques, however, will come a host of public policy and medical care delivery problems, from cost to decisions on who will receive the treatments. Moral and ethical issues abound.

"The 42nd Nobel Conference, to be held on October 3 and 4, 2006, will celebrate the successes of modern medicine and consider how it may further enrich our lives in the future; at the same time, the conference will also examine some of the issues that will need to be addressed in the future: Can modern science continue to be the answer to serious medical problems? Should basic medical research be funded by public funds or left to private companies, letting the profit motive guide future research? What are the new technologies that will impact our lives in the future? Is it possible to develop new technologies without risking unforeseen consequences?"

Something in my eye

Eider and friends have just published the second volume of their new ezine/blog 'Tengo algo en el ojo' a mixture of spanish and english articles.  The deadline for the next volume is steadily  approaching. Here is the brief:

 

China Media Centre

CHINA MEDIA CENTREUNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER

LEVERHULME PUBLIC LECTURES

Professor Hu Zhengrong (Communication University of China)

MEDIA IN CHINA

Wednesday 5th April    The Past and background: Chinese media change and its context   

Room RS358 309 Regent Street   

Wednesday 10th May    The present and its problems: Chinese mediastructure and the policy system   

Room RS358 309 Regent Street    Saturday 3rd June    Reform and the future: The cultural system and thepossible outcomes    Room RS451309 Regent Street   

All lectures will run from 14.00 to 17.00.  Entrance is free.  The lectures and discussion will be in English.

Dr. Hu Zhengrong is Professor of Communication and Director of the National Center for Radio & TV Studies. He also serves as the Executive Dean of the Graduate School Communication University of China. Professor Hu researchareas are media policy and institutional transition, media development strategy, media management, and political economy of communication.     Hu holds a doctorate from the Renmin University of China (1999) anda bachelor's degree from Beijing Broadcasting Institute (1986). He haschaired and accomplished research projects in China from the National SocialSciences Foundation, the National Commission of Reform and Development, the Ministry of Education, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), and Beijing Municipal Government.    

He has published papers on Chinese media in transition for numerousleading Chinese journals including the Chinese Broadcasting Academic Journal and Modern Communication. He is the author of several influential books asMedia Reality and Beyond (2004) and Media Management Renovation (2000), etc.     Hu is a consulting expert for Chinese media policy makers as the National Development and Reform Commission, the State Administration ofRadio, Film and Television and so forth; member of the Expert Committee of Courses Development and Disciplines Establishment, Ministry of Education;member of the Evaluation Committee, China Studying Abroad FoundationCouncil; member of the Expert Committee of Post-doctor Program Evaluation, Ministry of Labor and Human Resources; member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Journalists Association; member of the editorial committee ofMEDIA ASIA magazine, Singapore; member of the Advisory Committee of the AsiaMedia, Information and Communication Center (AMIC); vice-Chair of the Communication Association of China.     Dr. Hu was a research fellow at Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (2005). Currently he is the Leverhulme Visiting Professor at the China Media Centre of the University of Westminster.

Christos Sofroniou (Eaton, City of Norwich, School)

I was strolling through the website of my secondary school after a brief FriendsReunited fix and came across this fantastic photograph of my mathematics teacher Christos Sofroniou. If you took this shot, please get in touch to say hi. You have captured everything that was wonderful about this teacher and it's been good to see him again in his element. Props to the teachers of this world.

Human Enhancement Technologies in Sport

The title of this entry is the same as that used in the new UK inquiry from the Science and Technology Select Committee in the UK Government. It’s off to a good start already, avoiding the pejorative terminology of ‘doping’. I am optimistic that it will broaden the debate and it’s good to see it on the agenda. A representative from the Committee also attended the 'rethinking enhancement in sport' session at the James Martin Institute Tomorrow's People conference the other week (photo, with Professor Julian Savulescu).

I reproduce their press release below:

Select Committee on Science and Technology

No. 24 of Session 2005-06

1 March 2006

NEW INQUIRY

HUMAN ENHANCEMENT TECHNOLOGIES IN SPORT

The Science and Technology Committee is to conduct an inquiry into the use of human enhancement technologies (HETs) in sport, with particular reference to technologies which are likely to impact on the 2012 Olympics.

The Committee is examining the opportunities and problems presented by the increasing availability of technologies capable of enhancing sporting performance and is inviting written evidence on:

 The potential for different HETs, including drugs, genetic modification and technological devices, to be used legally or otherwise for enhancing sporting performance, now and in the future;

 Steps that could be taken to minimise the use of illegal HETs at the 2012 Olympics;

 The case, both scientific and ethical, for allowing the use of different HETs in sport and the role of the public, Government and Parliament in influencing the regulatory framework for the use of HETs in sport; and

 The state of the UK research and skills base underpinning the development of new HETs, and technologies to facilitate their detection.

The Committee would welcome written evidence from interested organisations and individuals addressing these points. Evidence should be submitted by Monday 22 May 2006. Oral evidence sessions will begin in June.

Guidelines for the submission of evidence

Evidence should be submitted in Word format, and should be sent by e-mail to scitechcom@parliament.uk . The body of the e-mail must include a contact name, telephone number and postal address. The e-mail should also make clear who the submission is from.

Submissions should be as brief as possible, and certainly no more than 3,000 words. Paragraphs should be numbered for ease of reference, and the document should include a brief executive summary. Those submitting evidence are reminded that evidence should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted no public use should be made of it, but those wishing to publish their evidence before it is published by the Committee are invited to contact the Clerk of the Committee to obtain permission to do so. Guidance on the submission of evidence can be found at http://www.parliament.uk/commons/selcom/witguide.htm

For further information please call Ana Ferreira, on 020 7219 2793. Previous press notices and publications are available on our website. www.parliament.uk/s&tcom

Notes to editors:

• Under the terms of Standing Order No. 152 the Science and Technology Committee is empowered to examine the “expenditure, policy and administration of the Office of Science and Technology and its associated public bodies”. The Committee was appointed on 19 July 2005.

Membership of the Committee

Mr Phil Willis (Lib Dem, Harrogate and Knaresborough)(Chairman) Adam Afriyie (Con, Windsor) Mr Robert Flello (Lab, Stoke-on-Trent South) Mr Jim Devine (Lab, Livingston) Dr Evan Harris (Lib Dem, Oxford West & Abingdon) Dr Brian Iddon (Lab, Bolton South East) Margaret Moran (Lab, Luton South) Mr Brooks Newmark (Con, Braintree) Anne Snelgrove (Lab/Co-op, South Swindon) Bob Spink (Con, Castle Point) Dr Desmond Turner (Lab, Brighton Kemptown)

World Union of Olympic Cities

Tomorrow, Beatriz is speaking at a meeting at the University of East London. One of the keynote speakers is

Dimitrios L. Avramopoulos, Minister of Health and Social Solidarity, Greece, and founding president, World Union of Olympic Cities

I must confess to not having heard of this Union and found little advice from google. Even the IOC website says nothing about this initiative. I wonder if anyone can shed any light on this initiative. It sounds very interesting! The Athens Environmental Foundation has some details and a copy of an original lette from Avramopoulos and it sounds like one of the major initiatives Athens took on when it hosted the Games in 2004. Here is the copy from the AEF site:

"AEF has received a letter of strong support by the World Union of Olympic Cities (WUOC), an international organization that has been formally sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee. The WUOC has been created to join cities as international centers for the development of sports, cultural and international activities that symbolize the deeper meaning of the Olympic Movement.

In the letter to AEF, WUOC Executive President Dimitris L. Avramopoulos congratulates AFF for its efforts and encourages everyone to actively participate and support the foundation's global activities."

Fashions of the Future

Forbes magazine reports on the future of clothing technology. Examples include a spray-on dress and an outfit that makes you feel as if you are being hugged. This is great fodder for the technophobes who worry that this will replace human contact. For me, these ideas are wonderfully creative, but also the mixing of clothing, design and technology allows us to consider how we might view the latter when it is a, ahem, seamless part of our bodies. As they mention, clothing is already technologically sophisticated, but this show indicates the many possibilities that are just around the corner.

Global Gaming Crackdown

Quoting from a Wired article. This raises a whole range of questions... "In the United States, virtual worlds could eventually have the same legal status as another lucrative recreation industry: pro sports. The NHL isn't exempt from federal legislation like labor, antitrust, and drug laws. But inside the "magic circle," on the field of play, sports leagues are given great latitude to make judgments, even though jobs, endorsement contracts, and the value of team franchises hang in the balance." Global Gaming Crackdown: How governments from Beijing to the Beltway could shackle your freedom By Chris Suellentrop

Video Game Soundtracks: An Independent Riff for Sports

Reported in the NYT: "Soundtracks to popular video games usually draw from three kinds of music: aggressive-sounding rock, aggressive-sounding rap and aggressive-sounding electronic music. But as virtual athletes round the bases in Major League Baseball 2K6, they will hear tracks from independent music acts including Yo La Tengo, Interpol and Belle and Sebastian, which are generally associated more with angst than athletics. " More evidence of these converging industries. 

China bans transplant organ sales

Govt bans business of human organs BEIJING, March 28 -- China's Ministry of Health has issued a regulation on human organ transplanting, including the prohibiting of any organ business for commercial purposes.

    The regulation, which will take effect on July 1, rules out any interpersonal organ transplanting which violates related laws or is not in line with the spirit of medical ethnics.

    It also requires medical organizations which are qualified for transplanting organs to prove the legal origin of the organs and fully disclose surgical procedures prior to an operation.

    In addition, medical organizations must inform donors about the medical use of the organs and obtain their consent.

    The regulation also raises minute demands on personnel, equipment and techniques relevant to organ transplanting.

    China has achieved great progress in human organ transplanting and more than 90 thousand patients have undergone such operations over more than a decade.

    (Source: CRIENGLISH.com)

Handsets get taken to the grave

The BBC reports this story, which just takes things way too far! My first thought was confirmed in this article, that many people want them just in case they wake up. It goes on to suggest that these gadgets are status symbols for some people, which reminds us of how different meanings are attached to the same technological artefacts. It's not just a mobile phone!

Edward Tenner

I first encountered Tenner's work 10 years ago, when I was studying for my undergraduate. In his book, 'Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended Consequences', he considers a number of cases related to sport and technology, which informed my own work. I have been reminded of his work again through the Hastings Center's Bioethics Forum, for which he writes. I will next visit the Hastings Center in May for a project meeting.