Research / Neurotechnology and neuroethics in online public discussion
“The brain” in public
People now meet claims about “the brain”, ADHD and neurotechnology mostly in online videos, not in journals. This part of my work asks how these topics are framed online, which ethical questions the public raises, and what neuroethics can learn from that.
Ethics is the study of how we ought to act and what we owe each other. Neuroethics applies this to brain science and neurotechnology: for example, what changes when a device can record or alter brain activity, or when people come to explain themselves through their brain.
Talks
25 Apr 2025 · Joint session with Georg Starke, Ralf Jox and Sabine Salloch at Neuroethics 2025, annual meeting of INS and SINe, Munich: Digital bioethics: computational methods for addressing neuroethical questions
23 Apr 2025 · Poster (Best Presenter Award) at Neuroethics 2025, annual meeting of INS and SINe, Munich: Exploring public discourse on neurotechnology: a computational analysis of sentiment, terminology, and ethical concerns on social media
Oct 2024 · Talk at Hybrid Minds, Geneva: Neuroethics on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
20 Sep 2024 · Talk at DFG Network “Digital Bioethics”, Hannover: Neuroethics on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
18 Jul 2024 · Paper in the panel “Exploring the transformative powers of neurosciences” at EASST-4S, Amsterdam: Neurorights on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
Jun 2024 · Talk (with Marcello Ienca) at SINe 2024 “Mind Matters: Navigating Neuroethics in the 21st Century”, Italian Society for Neuroethics, Rome: Neurorights on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
17 Apr 2024 · Poster (Best Presenter Award) at Neuroethics 2024, annual meeting of the International Neuroethics Society, Baltimore: Neurorights on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
21 Mar 2024 · Talk at conference “Bridging the gap between neurorights and cyberrights”, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa: Neurorights on YouTube: investigating ethical considerations of neurotechnology in public discourse
Publications
Sobieska, A. (2026). Preparedness under conditions of polarization: Media logics and the public positioning of neuroethics. Developments in Neuroethics and Bioethics, 235–268.