News

More Americans are turning to surrogacy to build their families, as the practice becomes more common and more publicly discussed.

Why it matters: As surrogacy becomes more visible and accessible, ethical, legal and cultural tensions become harder to ignore...

This is the first part of the 14th installment in the Legacies of Eugenics series, which features essays by leading thinkers devoted to exploring the history of eugenics and the ways it shapes our present. The series is organized by...

Without a federal law, surrogacy in the U.S. is governed by a patchwork of state regulations/

Why it matters: Confusing...

"MC0_8230" via Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by 2.0 

This report documents a deliberate assault on disabled people in...

Image of multiple babies
By Miguel Muñoz, Cadena SER [cites Marcy Darnovsky] | 08.04.2026

"Para ellos, una familia numerosa no solo es una preferencia personal, sino que es una obligación. Creen que tener tantos...

a headshot of Craig Venter
By Nicholas Wade, The New York Times | 04.30.2026

J. Craig Venter” via Wikimedia Commons licensed under CC by 2.5

J. Craig Venter, a scientist and entrepreneur who...

an image of three figures with DNA on a grey background
By Jonathan Basile, Los Ángeles Review of Books | 04.29.2026

WILLIAM BATESON, a foundational figure in the science of genetics at the turn of the last century, once recounted the...

stem cell
By Susan Dominus, The New York Times Magazine | 04.27.2026

Why are babies born young? The most natural phenomenon on earth is actually hard to explain — at least...

Image that represents AI
By Emile P. Torres, Truthdig | 04.27.2026

The CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, is on a messianic mission to bring about the singularity, the moment at...

graphic showing preference for certain genes
By Alexandre Piquard, Le Monde [cites Katie Hasson] | 04.27.2026

"Si on en prouve la sûreté, nous croyons que l’édition préventive du génome pourrait être l’une des technologies de santé...

image of DNA on a dark background
By Marcelo Jauregui-Volpe, Wired | 04.24.2026

Two companies that launched last year with plans to create gene-edited babies have already shut down, citing money issues and...

Image of a man pointing at his ear.
By Rob Stein, NPR | 04.23.2026

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first gene therapy to restore hearing for people who were born deaf.

The...