News

'Superbabies' Startup Seeks Funds for Controversial Gene Editing Push

By Sophie Alexander and Ike Swetlitz, Bloomberg | 06.25.2025

A California-startup focused on genetically editing human embryos — a step toward creating so-called designer babies — is raising money as many of Silicon Valley’s ultra-rich turn their attention to one of the most controversial technologies in medicine.

Bootstrap Bio...

Patents & Other IP

Can doctors test embryos for autism? And should they?

By Brittany Luse, Liam McBain, and Neena Pathak, NPR [cites CGS' Katie Hasson] | 05.28.2025

A newly available kind of genetic testing, called polygenic embryo screening, promises to screen for conditions that can include cancer, obesity, autism, bipolar disorder, even celiac disease. These conditions are informed by many genetic variants and environmental factors - so...

Genetic Selection

Why Deleting Your 23andMe Data Is a Political Imperative

By Katie Sagaser, The DNA Exchange | 05.27.2025

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this piece are solely my own and do not represent those of my...

U.S. Federal

Trumpian “Common Sense” and the History of IQ Tests

By Pepper Stetler, Los Angeles Review of Books | 05.08.2025

"Donald Trump Signs The Pledge" by Michael Vadon 
is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

This is...

Society
close up of pride and trans flags

Rushing Quebec’s Bill 2 risks leaving many voices unheard

By Alana Cattapan, Vanessa Gruben, Stefanie Carsley and Angela Cameron, CTV News | 12.14.2021

Photo by Cecilie Johnsen on Unsplash

Last month, the Quebec government introduced Bill 2, which aims to comprehensively amend Quebec’s...

Policies
Uyghurs in an internment camp

Journal Retracts Paper Based On DNA of Vulnerable Chinese Minorities

By Mara Hvistendahl, The Intercept | 12.13.2021

"9099340c-dd10-4392-80c6-8d7a1f90175e" by Prachatai is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

A highly regarded scientific journal has retracted a paper based on...

Society
Science article on eugenics 1921

The Eugenics Movement in Retrospect

By Rob DeSalle, Natural History | 12.11.2021

One hundred years ago, the Second International Congress of Eugenics was held from September 22-28, 1921, at the American Museum...

U.S. States
The Confront Eugenics logo

On the legacies of eugenics

By Marius Turda, Challenging Pseudoscience (Apple Podcast) | 12.10.2021

This episode is a recording of a talk given by medical historian, Marius Turda, at the Royal Institution in September...

U.S. States

The big idea: how much do we really want to know about our genes?

By Daniel M Davis, The Guardian | 12.06.2021

While at the till in a clothes shop, Ruby received a call. She recognised the woman’s voice as the genetic...

Genetic Selection
Weaving genes together

GM ‘designer babies’: breakthrough or nightmare?

By Dave King, Red Pepper | 12.06.2021

Hongjie mao, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In late 2018, when He Jiankui announced that he had created...

Human Genetic Modification
PGD selection

IVF used by some to avoid passing on genetic diseases to offspring

By Jamie Talan, The Washington Post | 12.04.2021

By Fotograf Kallestad, Gorm / NTB Scanpix. CC BY NC 4.0

In vitro fertilization (IVF), widely known as a way...

Assisted Reproduction
Francis Collins

Science misinformation alarms Francis Collins as he leaves top NIH job

By Nidhi Subbaraman, Nature | 12.03.2021

This month, Francis Collins will step down as director of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) after more than...

Genomics