Health

FEATURED DEBATE

Should We Erase Bad Memories?

In the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kate Winslet’s character undergoes a procedure to erase her bad memories of her ex-boyfriend. But what if we could do the same in real life? Neurotechnology techniques, such as decoded neurofeedback, open the possibilities of influencing the brain’s neural activity to modify or erase memories that aren’t pleasant or beneficial to our well-being. Those who argue in favor say it could help offer a path to psychological well-being and emotional healing from traumatic and painful memories that lead to anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Those forgotten painful, unwanted memories would give…

ARGUING YES

Nita Farahany

Author of "The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology", Professor at Duke University, and the Founding Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society

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August 18, 2023

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ARGUING NO

Sigal Samuel

Senior Reporter for Vox Future Perfect and co-host of the Future Perfect podcast

FEATURED DEBATE

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1:05:05

August 18, 2023

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Should We Erase Bad Memories?

ARGUING YES

Nita Farahany

ARGUING NO

Sigal Samuel

Senior Reporter for Vox Future Perfect and co-host of the Future Perfect podcast

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Prescription Weight Loss Drugs for All?

A new study from The Lancet revealed that three-quarters of U.S. adults and almost half of teens are now overweight or obese. Weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, known as GLP-1 drugs, have been making headlines as…

With David Allison, Stuart W. Flint

January 24, 2025

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1:04:42

Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?

Dry January has become increasingly popular, practiced by a quarter of Americans last year, and provides individuals a collegial and open path for reconsidering their alcohol consumption. For almost two million people worldwide who have…

With Dan Griffin, Adi Jaffe

January 3, 2025

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1:03:00

Could Longevity Science Extend Your Health Span By Decades? Should the Government Fund It?

How long would you like to live, and could science and technology make it possible? Longevity science aims to extend our healthy years through advancements in CRISPR, cellular reprogramming, and drug development. While private companies…

With Peter Diamandis, Ezekiel J. Emanuel

December 27, 2024

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Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

With Ismail Ali, Kevin Sabet

December 13, 2024

0 seconds of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 19 secondsVolume 90%

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1:07:19

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?

About the Trial In a post-Roe v. Wade world, a medication that 63% of women use to undergo an abortion is under consideration by the Supreme Court. Mifepristone was approved as a two-drug regimen for use…

With Catherine Glenn Foster, Julia Kaye

May 10, 2024

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1:05:14

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued groundbreaking guidelines to tackle childhood obesity, affecting over 14 million U.S. children and adolescents. These guidelines advocate for earlier, more aggressive interventions, including evaluating adolescents with severe…

With Julia Nordgren, Janna Gewirtz O'Brien

March 29, 2024

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0 seconds of 55 minutes, 51 secondsVolume 90%

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55:51

Prescription Weight Loss Drugs for All?

With David Allison, Stuart W. Flint

January 24, 2025

0 seconds of 1 hour, 4 minutes, 42 secondsVolume 90%

00:00

1:04:42

Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?

With Dan Griffin, Adi Jaffe

January 3, 2025

0 seconds of 1 hour, 3 minutes, 0Volume 90%

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1:03:00

Could Longevity Science Extend Your Health Span By Decades? Should the Government Fund It?

With Peter Diamandis, Ezekiel J. Emanuel

December 27, 2024

0 seconds of 59 minutes, 3 secondsVolume 90%

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59:03

Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

With Ismail Ali, Kevin Sabet

December 13, 2024

0 seconds of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 19 secondsVolume 90%

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1:07:19

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?

With Catherine Glenn Foster, Julia Kaye

May 10, 2024

0 seconds of 1 hour, 5 minutes, 14 secondsVolume 90%

00:00

1:05:14

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

With Julia Nordgren, Janna Gewirtz O'Brien

March 29, 2024

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1:05:05

Should We Erase Bad Memories?

With Nita Farahany, Sigal Samuel

August 18, 2023

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Is Social Media Bad for Kids’ Mental Health?

Social media platforms have become an integral part of the modern digital landscape, shaping how young individuals connect, communicate, and perceive the world around them. However, concerns have been raised regarding the potential negative consequences…

With Candice Odgers, Jim Steyer

June 25, 2023

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Is the FDA Too Cautious?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Atlantic criticized the US Food and Drug Administration for moving too slowly to approve vaccines with the provocative headline “The Death Toll of Delay.” Not long before, National Public Radio…

With Colin Hill, Peter Lurie

June 23, 2023

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John Donvan in Conversation with David McRaney on the Science of Changing Minds

What’s it take to change a mind? It turns out there is a science to it. That’s at least according to David McRaney, a journalist, author, and host of the You Are Not So Smart…

With John Donvan, David McRaney

March 17, 2023

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Should We Eat More Processed Foods?

Processed food is bad for you, right? Well, there’s more to this story. As new technologies create foods that can’t be made in home kitchens, such as plant-based meats and dairy products made with plant…

With Michael Gibney, Kevin Hall, Marion Nestle, Amy Webb

July 11, 2022

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Is It Right to End Roe?

The Supreme Court is poised to make a decision so controversial that even a leaked draft majority opinion can send shockwaves across the nation. In 98-pages, Justice Alito decried Roe v. Wade as “egregiously wrong…

With Sarah Isgur, Mary Ziegler

May 10, 2022

Magic mushrooms, MDMA, and Ketamine. These psychedelic drugs, once a taboo, might not be as harmful as we thought. Some scientific studies have shown evidence that psychedelic drugs, when used in controlled therapeutic settings, may help patients with anxiety, PTSD, and depression. While states like Oregon have legalized psilocybin therapy, the FDA recently decided in a high-profile case not to approve MDMA therapy. Should doctors still consider its use, or is it overhyped? Those who advocate for psychedelic treatments argue…

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Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

With Ismail Ali, Kevin Sabet

December 13, 2024

IN THE NEWS

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Is It time for Medicare for All?

With Adam Gaffney, Nick Gillespie, Sally Pipes, Joseph Sanberg

September 17, 2019

As the nation gears up for the 2020 election, Democrats are promising bold new changes to the American health care system. One idea championed by many on the progressive left is “Medicare for All,” or a single-payer system, which would do away with private health insurance for most forms of care. Advocates of this plan promise that nationalizing health insurance will cut costs by reducing overhead and promote overall health by giving all Americans access to preventive health care. And…

0 seconds of 1 hour, 21 minutes, 56 secondsVolume 90%

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Is It time for Medicare for All?

With Adam Gaffney, Nick Gillespie, Sally Pipes, Joseph Sanberg

September 17, 2019

Upcoming Debates

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

With Eric Berger, Shannon Stirone

10:00 AM | Friday, April 11, 2025

Trump said in his State of the Union speech that “we will pursue our Manifest Destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars,” throwing down the gauntlet for the next space race. Some say the colonization of Mars is still science fiction, while others say we should prioritize efforts in that direction, given the geopolitical considerations and the fact that NASA, SpaceX, and other private companies could all play a role. Should the U.S. prioritize the…

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

With Eric Berger, Shannon Stirone

10:00 AM | Friday, April 11, 2025

Think Twice: About Abundance with Derek Thompson

With Derek Thompson

10:00 AM | Friday, March 28, 2025

Part of the Think Twice Author Series - It’s a tale as old as time: we see the environment in which we grow up, along with all the issues plaguing it, and aspire to leave the world better than we’ve found it. If not, we hope the next generation can finish that work. Reporter and podcaster Derek Thompson says what’s been clear throughout their reporting is that we’ve become better at recognizing problems that should be addressed. However, our ability…

Think Twice: About Abundance with Derek Thompson

Part of the Think Twice Author Series - It’s a tale as old as time: we see the environment in which we grow up, along with all the issues plaguing it, and aspire to leave…

With Derek Thompson

10:00 AM | Friday, March 28, 2025

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Features

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Health

FEATURED DEBATE

Should We Erase Bad Memories?

Nita Farahany

Sigal Samuel

FEATURED DEBATE

Should We Erase Bad Memories?

Nita Farahany

Sigal Samuel

Prescription Weight Loss Drugs for All?

Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?

Could Longevity Science Extend Your Health Span By Decades? Should the Government Fund It?

Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

THE LATEST

Prescription Weight Loss Drugs for All?

Does Alcoholics Anonymous Work?

Could Longevity Science Extend Your Health Span By Decades? Should the Government Fund It?

Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?

Childhood Obesity Guidelines: Good Medicine or Too Extreme?

Should We Erase Bad Memories?

Is Social Media Bad for Kids’ Mental Health?

Is the FDA Too Cautious?

John Donvan in Conversation with David McRaney on the Science of Changing Minds

Should We Eat More Processed Foods?

Is It Right to End Roe?

TRENDING

Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

Psychedelics for Mental Health: Help or Hype?

IN THE NEWS

Is It time for Medicare for All?

Is It time for Medicare for All?

Upcoming Debates

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

Should the U.S. Prioritize Settling Mars?

Think Twice: About Abundance with Derek Thompson

Think Twice: About Abundance with Derek Thompson

DEBATE COMMUNITY

Influential Voices. Pressing Topics. Open Minds.

SUPPORT OPEN-MINDED DEBATE

Be Curious. Be Open-Minded. Be Open to Debate.

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?

Mock Trial: Should the Courts Restrict Access to the Abortion Pill?