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...

The game, Jenga, is set up with themed animals and plants on each pieces. A human hand attempts to remove one piece from the connected collection.
By Ewen Callaway, Nature | 12.21.2016

World governments at a United Nations biodiversity meeting this week rejected calls for a global moratorium on gene drives, a...

Two women view a computer desktop, appearing to be working.
By Alison DeNisco, Tech Republic, [cites CGS's Marcy Darnovsky] | 12.21.2016

Despite criticism over lack of gender diversity and family-friendly policies, the tech industry is far exceeding others in one area...

Silhouette of John Holdren.
By Dave Levitan, WIRED | 12.20.2016

President Obama’s science advisor, John Holdren, isn’t kidding when he praises his boss. “I sincerely think [he] is the most...

A black and white illustration of moral compass, with directions of "good," "evil," "progress," and "regress."
By Alexandra Minna Stern, Issues in Science and Technology | 12.20.2016

In "The History of Eugenics" (Issues, Spring 2016), Daniel J. Kevles rightly reminds us that many biotechnologies initially viewed...

Planet earth levitates in human hands.
By ETC Group, ETC Group | 12.19.2016

CANCUN, MEXICO — This week, 196 countries meeting at the 2016 UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties...

Illustrated image of four hands hoovering over a completed puzzle.
By Max Stendahl, Boston Business Journal | 12.16.2016

Four biotechs involved in the burgeoning field of gene editing announced a formal patent alliance on Friday that puts them...

A crack of light pours into a barely opened door.
By James Gallagher, BBC News | 12.15.2016

Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK's fertility regulator.

The historic and controversial...

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper stands at a podium as a speaker, with the Office of Director of National Intelligence symbol in the background.
By Himanshu Goenka, IB Times | 12.14.2016

Crispr is a tool that allows for genes to be edited, and has great potential in the treatment of a...