The Human Genome project has begun over 30 years ago and ran into the early 2000s, completing the total mapping of more than three billion DNA base-pairs in the human genome. Studying this has revealed significant information into the heritability of different traits. In this article, David Chen and Kevin Shaw examine the heritability of a selection of mental illnesses with special attention to what the appropriate approach to treating such illnesses is.

Hunger strikes have long been a method used by individuals with limited power to change their circumstances as a way of drawing attention to injustices suffered, whether actual or perceived. However, those responsible for the care of such people have a competing responsibility to their care, including making certain they are properly nourished. This article discusses whether it is appropriate to force-feed an individual on a hunger strike, using a Catholic ethical framework to explore the issue.