bioethics
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Chinese Scientist Responsible For Gene-Edited Babies Has Reportedly Gone Missing
The current whereabouts of He Jiankui—the scientist who claims to have engineered the world’s first genetically modified human babies—is unknown. Rumours are now circulating that he’s been detained by the Chinese government.
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Reports Of First Genetically Enhanced Babies Spark Outrage
Twin girls born earlier this month had their DNA altered to prevent them from contracting HIV, according to an Associated Press report. If confirmed, the births would signify the first gene-edited babies in human history — a stunning development that’s sparking an outcry from scientists and ethicists.
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UK Ethics Council Says It’s ‘Morally Permissible’ To Create Genetically Modified Babies
The UK’s Nuffield Council on Bioethics says it’s acceptable to genetically engineer human embryos, so long as the interventions aren’t harmful to the future child or society as a whole. The council is taking a surprisingly progressive position on the matter, but we’re still a long way off from the birth of the world’s first…
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Scientists Kept Disembodied Pig Brains ‘Alive’ For 36 Hours, And It’s Testing Our Conceptions Of Death
A neuroscientist from Yale University is claiming to have developed a technique that preserves the brain tissue of pigs for an extended period following decapitation. The brains are apparently not conscious, but the new technique is raising a number of important ethical issues.