I have a new article in Quartz, an online publication that hits a wide audience and is geared toward the global business community. Find my article here, “Pigs with human hearts, and other wild tales from the future of organ donation.”
I had been interested in writing an article about some of the weird alternatives to organ donation for a while. New research on xenotransplantation (organs from animals), gene editing, human-animal chimeras, 3D printing, and mechanical organs sounded both weird and hopeful that one day scientists may find an alternative to obtaining organs from cadavers. However, while these new technologies may solve one of bioethics’ classic dilemmas, too few organs for the people who need them, it brings up new and complex questions about life, death, and what it means to be human.