The high-tech future of assisted suicide is here. The world isn’t ready.
Oh, Switzerland: a place of stunning mountains, world-governing bodies, trains that run on time — and a surprisingly libertarian attitude toward assisted dying. Famous as a destination for “suicide tourism” (as critics put it), the country has robust guidelines around the pratice, though only one explicit law. But activist Philip Nitschke objects: Why require clinics and doctors? Why shouldn’t people decide for themselves? Enter his “suicide pod,” and the woman who used it. Marin Cogan tells the story of what happened, and the moral, policy, and philosophical ramifications.
Could tweaks to the tax code lead to more marriages — and more kids?
It seems straightforward: Married women have more kids than unmarried women. But certain policies discourage marriage by, for example, pushing couples into a higher tax bracket. So would fixing these “marriage penalties” lead to more couples tying the knot and then welcoming a new baby? Rachel Cohen takes a look.
I got malaria on purpose and so can you
Dylan Matthews, who is braver than most of us, chronicles his experience getting bitten by malaria-infected mosquitoes, all in service of helping medical research and hopefully saving lives. Dylan explains the history of these human challenge trials in a piece full of colorful details, some of which I maybe didn’t want to know (the mosquitoes to whom he offered himself are “apparently foot fetishists”).
The perils of trying to optimize your morality
As far as I’m aware, Sigal Samuel has not served herself up to mosquitoes for the benefit of humanity. It’s possible that if I pointed that out to her, she would feel guilty — because Sigal is, as she writes in this essay, a “recovering optimizer.” For her, though, optimization isn’t only about 10,000 steps and straight A’s, but about scrupulosity and being as good as possible. Sigal traces the quest for moral optimization from a 16th-century revolution in double-entry bookkeeping to the emerging technologies that promise to improve our souls. So what’s a person (who just wants a formula for doing good) supposed to do?
Are progressive groups sinking Democrats’ electoral chances?
Perhaps you’ve heard pundits claim that “the groups” — that is, progressive groups — led the Democrats astray and that’s why they lost touch with voters and then lost the election. Andrew Prokop explains the debate, and why the reality might not be that tidy.
🎧 How to feel alive
The title speaks for itself. On The Gray Area, Sean Illing interviews philosopher Simon Critchley on mysticism.
