News

During his 2015 State of the Union address, then-President Barack Obama announced what he promised would be an ambitious public health project. “Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes...

This is the 15th 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. You can read the first part here. The series...

Justin Schleede reaches onto a black lab bench to pick up a tray of small plastic tubes.

"These are saliva...

"If proven to be safe, we believe preventive gene editing could be one of the most important health technologies of...

A female, African American protester holds a sign that reads, "Sterilization of mothers violates U.N. charter. Vote No on House Bill 20."
By Robert A Wilson, Aeon | 06.05.2018

Eugenics was a mixture of science and social movement that aimed to improve the human race over generations. Those of...

A black and white print depicting the exterior of the Cheshire Lunatic Asylum.
By David Dobbs, Nature | 06.05.2018

Who founded genetics? The line-up usually numbers four. William Bateson and Wilhelm Johannsen coined the terms genetics and gene, respectively...

Image of a white cotton swab and clear test tube against a white background.
By Megan Thielking, Stat News | 06.05.2018

MyHeritage, one of the nation’s most popular online genealogy sites, said a security breach had affected the email addresses and...

A futuristic-looking freezer illuminated in blue and pink light opens to reveal white vapor. The freezer is labeled "Cryogenics International."
By Joi Ito, Wired | 06.04.2018

In the summer of 1990, I was running a pretty weird nightclub in the Roppongi neighborhood of Tokyo. I was deeply...

Close up image of various bills including dollars, pounds, and euros.
By Sian Ferguson, Rewire.News | 06.04.2018

In March, Canadian Member of Parliament Anthony Housefather said he’ll put forward a new bill that would allow sperm donors...

Google Calico logo, a green C surrounded by green concentric circles.
By Stuart Leavenworth, McClatchy DC Bureau [Cites CGS' Marcy Darnovsky] | 06.01.2018

For DNA testing companies, the genetic code that customers pay to have analyzed is a gift that keeps on giving...

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...