What did the era’s most prominent symbol of humanitarianism think when confronted with the world’s most compelling moral outrage? History records only a question mark. By Jay Winik.

Nearly three million dogs and cats are killed in shelters each year. Here are some strategies that could drastically reduce those numbers. By David Bornstein.

Labelling someone crazy and difficult is a way to resist justice and change – and psychiatrists are complicit. By Carrie Arnold.

One self-proclaiming psychopath has described how he presents himself in society and given a breakdown on his behaviour in different situations in what may provide an answer to that question.

In the 1950s, a group of scientists spoke out against the dangers of nuclear weapons. Should cryptographers take on the surveillance state? By Kaven Waddell.

The 6,700-word study still has not been made publicly available, and in fact, appears to be prohibited among officials in the executive branch. By Murtaza Hussain.

As the DIY bio movement grows, questions have been raised about the consequences of bringing the technology to all. By Kari Paul.

This is one of the most bizarre moments in cable news history. By Kia Makarechi.

Patients demand access to compound despite lack of clinical testing. By Heidi Ledford. (Nov. 24)

Rowan Williams reviews “Strangers Drowning: Voyages to the Brink of Moral Extremity,” by Larissa MacFarquhar.

Inside the viral story of Gravity CEO Dan Price. By Karen Weise.

New techniques that could make germline genetic engineering unprecedentedly easy are forcing policymakers to confront the ethical implications of moving forward

Boyalife, its partners are building the giant plant in Chinese port of Tianjin, where it is due to go into production within the next seven months

A brilliant neurosurgeon offered an untested therapy to dying cancer patients. Was it innovation or overreach? By Emily Eakin.

A clinical trial will look at the neurological structure and function of people who have attempted suicide. By Sara Reardon.

As Wales becomes the latest country to make organ donation opt-out, the illegal organ trade continues around the world. By Rich Wordsworth.

When it opened in the 1920s, California’s Rockhaven sanitarium took a radically different approach than the other institutions of its time. By April Wolfe.

World’s largest cloning facility in China aims to produce a million cattle a year, along with other animals. By Neil Connor.

Scientists aim to tackle malaria by creating insects unable to spread the parasite, but caution urged over unpredictable ecological consequences. By Ian Sample.

Traditionally, expectant mothers have been excluded from clinical trials, but could this practice be doing more harm than good? Emily Anthes investigates.