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...

Interior image of New Jersey state house showing rows of chairs, a chandelier, etc.
By Susan K. Livio, NJ.com | 05.31.2018

New Jersey state law caught up to medical science Wednesday, when Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that provides legal...

Ultrasound image of a baby's head in black and white showing absent nasal bone indicating Down Syndrome.
By Ruth Graham, Slate | 05.31.2018

Celeste Blau’s first pregnancy was smooth from the beginning. She stayed active and kept working at the gelato shop she...

A close up photograph of a globe with clear push pins inserted in various countries.
By Stuart Leavenworth, McClatchy DC Bureau [Cites CGS' Leah Lowthorp] | 05.31.2018

Curious about their roots, consumers are spending tens of millions of dollars each year getting their DNA tested and then...

A purple-gloved hand inserts a piece of paper into a machine to extract DNA from the swab.
By Mason Marks and Tiffany Li, Stat News | 05.30.2018

The National Institutes of Health wants your DNA, and the DNA of 1 million other Americans, for an ambitious...

An unlabeled pie chart with blue, green, purple, and orange sections.
By Erica Evans, Deseret News [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 05.30.2018

Lynn Schwiebert was 67-years-old when she decided to figure out who she really was.

She had spent years tracing her...

Rows of students wearing blue school uniforms sit at desks and take notes.
By Carl Zimmer, The Atlantic | 05.29.2018

In 2016, I got my genome sequenced while I was working on a book about heredity. Some scientists kindly pointed...

Close up of a hand holding a test tube and inserting a pipette into the tube.
By Stuart Leavenworth, McClatchy DC Bureau [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 05.29.2018

It markets its DNA kits with promises that tug at the heartstrings: Discover ancestors. Strengthen family ties. Understand your life...

A close up photograph of a male Japanese baby lying down on a bed in pajamas with eyes closed.
By The Economist, The Economist | 05.26.2018

The sterile façade of Kato Ladies Clinic gives little hint of the fecundity inside. Nestling among a plantation of high-rises...