Could we be designing babies from a menu of genetic options in 2045?

4-28-2019 cc e f c fde f a ea
Image: United Photos/Reuters

The year is 2045. The genomes of four billion humans have been sequenced, creating a huge pool of genetic information accessible to researchers.

The spark of life that used to begin in bedrooms and the back seats of cars was now migrating out of the human body and into the lab.

“Take your time,” the doctor continues. “You need to first select the early- stage embryo optimal for you. The numbers across the top list the 300 options for you that we’ve prescreened from the initial 10,000. The column down the left lists all the disorders and traits influenced by genetics that we have some ability to predict. The numbers populating the chart are our best predictions for how the genetic component of each trait would be realized if we selected based on that trait alone.”

You still struggle with the idea that the magic of life can be reduced to a series of percentages on a chart. “Is it really that simple?”

“Nature is no fool. Evolution isn’t random. It just made some trade-offs for us over the years that today don’t always seem that great. We have to approach all of this with a healthy dose of humility.”

Read full, original post: Making Babies in the Year 2045

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