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Below are abstracts from past Philosophy and Science Café public events where members of the MRC Centre have presented.

Dr. Xavier Caseras talks to a 49 strong public audience at the Science Cafe, Gate Arts Centre in Cardiff. March 2011

The Ethics of Biotech: Who Decides on Stem Cell Research? (Jamie Lewis and Choon-Key Chekar) 15th September 2009

Stem cells from human embryos are thought to offer tremendous promise for treating debilitating diseases and injuries. Despite this, opposition to research has arisen in some quarters because the harvesting of stem cells destroys human embryos. The ways in which debates on these issues are framed vary widely from country to country. In this Cafe, we'll explore what difference the assumptions employed by media and politicians about "the public" can change the terms of debate, and whether civil society should have more of an influence on research of this kind.

To view the presentations from these talks please click here:

Personal Responsibility and Genomic Science (Nigel Williams and Michael Arribas-Ayllon) 19th January 2010

“Know thyself” is an ethical imperative that was one of the touchstones of Greek philosophy, denoting one of the chief responsibilities of human beings. But how is this link between self-knowledge and morality affected when part of our “self-knowledge” becomes data about our genetic makeup and the health risk factors to which it may alert us?

If we can have access to information about whether we carry, in our DNA, genetic markers for specific diseases or conditions, does this make us responsible for obtaining this knowledge, and are we then responsible for taking action to manage any risk? How far, realistically, are we able to act upon this knowledge? How reliable a predictor of future health problems is the information that recent scientific discoveries in genetics can provide? How far is susceptibility to a given condition still highly conditional on complex factors in our environment?

These and other issues will be introduced by our two speakers. Dr Nigel Williams will introduce the work of his group on the role of genetic markers in indicating susceptibility to common neuropsychiatric conditions. Dr Michael Arribas-Ayllon will look at how the link between knowledge and responsibility is being used to market diagnostic tests and discuss and how our understanding of “genetic susceptibility” takes into account complexity and uncertainty.

To hear podacsts of these talks please visit the Cardiff Philosophy Cafe website or click here:

Neuroscience and Philosophy (Paul Keedwell and Chris Norris) 16th March 2010

How are our minds and our brains related? And what is the relationship between introspective knowledge of our minds, and knowledge of our brains, the territory of neuroscience? Neuroscience has told us a great deal about how the brain works, but does this mean it has told us anything about consciousness, about free will, and about what “selves” are?

An evening of discussion with a neuroscientist and a philosopher from Cardiff University covering these and other issues, as part of Cardiff University Science Week.

To hear podcasts of these talks please visit the Cardiff Philosophy Cafe website or click here:

The Nature of Nurture: Environment, Epigenetics and Ethics (Anthony Isles and Michael Arribas Ayllon) 15th February 2011

In an age of advancing genetic science, the age-old debate over the primacy of nature versus that of nurture is often thought to have been largely settled. Stories in the media often depict our genes as determining the physical and even mental characteristics we possess. But the study of epigenetic phenomena complicates this picture. Epigenetics studies ‘switches’ that turn genes on or off – and suggests that environmental factors like nutrition and stress can control these switches and, some suggest, even cause heritable effects in humans that can be passed on between generations.

In this Café , Dr Anthony Isles (MRC CNGG, Cardiff University) and Dr Michael Arribas-Ayllon(Cesagen, Cardiff University) explore how epigenetic mechanisms operate, and what ethical and political implications may follow from the discoveries now issuing from this field, concerning issues such as intergenerational equity and social justice.

To hear podcasts of these talks please visit the Cardiff Philosophy Cafe website or click here:

Fears and Phobias: can we train our brains to be fearless? (Xavier Caseras) 1st March 2011

'Why do humans experience fear, what is the value of it and what exactly goes on in our brains when experiencing this emotion? Dr Xavier Caseras from the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics and Cardiff University will explore these questions from a neuroscientific perspective. Part of his research has focused on what makes phobic patients different from non-phobic controls. In this café he will examine the neuroanatomical responses involved when humans are confronted to threatening stimuli. In addition, he will discuss how phobias can be treated and whether someone’s brain can be trained or not to respond in a fearless way. That is, what changes go on in our brains when we learn not to be scared of something?'

To watch Xavier's talk please visit the Cardiff Science Cafe website or click here:

Art, The Mind and Mental Illness

The history of our understanding of the mind is replete with aesthetic images and metaphors used to represent its essential nature, from the ancient Greek pneuma to Gilbert Ryle’s description of Descartes’ concept of mind as the ‘ghost in the machine’. In this Café we explore both how art can help us expand our range of imaginative tools for understanding the mind, and how explorations of creativity can lead to new approaches to both understanding and healing mental illness.

Psychiatrist and artist Rhys Jones and artist Julia Thomas offerered some thoughts on how their work relates to these themes.

To hear podcasts of these talks please visit the Cardiff Philosophy Cafe website or click here.